Chance Encounter
by TimeGuardian
Summary: Medical student Mamoru encounters a lady in distress. Will she be willing to tell her secret? Will he be willing to help her?
1. Rainy Day Encounter

**_Chance Encounter  
_**An alternate reality romance  
Part 1  
by Time Guardian

The rain was coming down in buckets, and Chiba Mamoru was grateful to be on his way home. He had taken four exams that day, and didn't have much to show for it except for a cramped writing hand and a better understanding of how long he would be stuck in medical school.

Luckily he had a helmet to keep him dry, but unfortunately the rest of him was soaked to the bone, and the puddles he was slamming through on his motor bike were only serving to obscure his vision.

Mamoru was heading towards his favorite restaurant to eat. He was just reaching the intersection when he had to slam on the brakes to avoid a young woman who staggered into the crosswalk against the light.

A woman who was very pregnant.

It took a lot of skill and concentration, but he was able to stop just mere inches away from her.

* * *

Tsukino Usagi kept one hand on her burgeoning belly while trying to cross the road to get to the pharmacist. The rain hampered her efforts and only served to plaster her long blonde hair against her pale skin. She needed to pick up the medication for Mrs. Chen's daughter who was running a bad fever, and she promised the little girl that she would be back in time to read her a story.

That is, until she was scared spitless by the creepy motorcycle driver.

"Hey you jerk! Watch where you are going!" she shouted.

She saw the indignant rider pull his bike over to the side of the road and then take off his helmet. Leaving it on the bike, he rushed over and grabbed her by the arm.

"I'm a jerk? Lady, you were the one who stepped into the crosswalk against the light,"  
he shouted, pointing to the crosswalk light.

Following his gaze, Usagi saw that the no crossing light was indeed lit. Eyes wide, she looked back at him. "I'm sorry, my mind was very preoccupied."

She didn't know whether it was the near death experience or the rain, but Usagi began to tremble uncontrollably. She also felt a stabbing pain near the small of her back, but since she had been having them off and on for most of the day, she didn't think much about it.

Usagi saw worry spring to life in his eyes.

"C'mon. There's a restaurant on the next corner that serves great Italian food. We need to get you out of the rain."

He took her hand, and led her quickly away.

* * *

After a few moments, they found themselves standing in front of a large building that looked like an Italian Villa, surrounded by beautiful plants.

"Let's get out of the rain."

Mamoru ushered her inside, and they were soon seated. After the waiter brought their menus, Usagi looked around the place in some interest.

"This place is beautiful. Reminds me of the pictures in the travel agency I used to work for."

"My friend Taka runs the place," he told her with a grin. "He went to Italy on vacation, loved the food and the scenery, and decided to bring back both."

She giggled in reply as she looked around again, noting the numerous plants, marble floors, and beautiful detail in the carvings and paintings.

She turned back to him, and he pointed at the menu in front of her.

"Order anything on the menu, it's on me."

Usagi's eyes widened in protest. "But Mrs. Chen is waiting for me at home. I cannot possibly-"

"I insist. I scared you badly; please consider this meal as an apology."

* * *

An hour later, they finished their meal. Mamoru smiled as he saw her finish the last of her spaghetti. She pushed back a strand of blond hair that had fallen into her face and smiled at him.

"This was very delicious. Your friend Taka should be pleased."

Mamoru recognized his friend walking up to their table. "Oh, I can assure you he is.  
Hello Taka, I was just telling my lady friend here about you."

"And I hope he hasn't been telling you bad things about me," Taka joked as he reached the table.

"Nah, I just told her how you went ga-ga for the pasta." he replied in kind.

They spoke for a few moments about old times, when Mamoru heard a sharp gasp from her. Turning, he saw her panting and nearly doubled over in pain.

He realized that he had seen this in his medical texts. -_She's having a contraction_-  
Mamoru watched her intently as the contraction passed and she began to breathe again.  
He started quizzing her quickly:

"Did your water break? How long have you been having these pains?"

"I don't know, I had been sick and on the toilet for most of the morning. I have been in pain for most of the day. It had been pretty spaced apart and not as bad, but now-" she started to moan, then gasped and clutched her abdomen. He saw that she seemed to be in the throes of another contraction.

"Most of the day?" Mamoru echoed.

Alarm bells went off in his head. If she's been having contractions for most of the day, then she was most likely in the first stages of labor, or worse.

He quickly threw some money on the table for the bill, and reached for her.

"Come on. We need to get you to the hospital."

* * *

Usagi waved away his efforts. She panted heavily to try and help the pain to pass, but it wasn't going away. She had been feeling small pains during dinner, but this one was serious.

She had not been too concerned, because she read pregnancy books that indicated that women with first pregnancies experienced false labor from time to time. However, when she felt the extreme pressure build in her abdomen that she began to whimper and panic.

"I can feel it, the baby is coming now, oooooh."

Shutting her eyes tightly to avoid the pain, Usagi was only dimly aware that someone gently picked her up out of her seat, cradling her like a child.

When Usagi heard the voice though, she knew it was him.

"Taka, quickly! She's in active labor! We need to use your office, now!"

Her heart leapt into her throat. She had read the cases where some women have a quick labor. It was the one case she had been afraid of, because Mrs. Chen had told her about her own experience being quick and extremely painful.

She felt him rush her quickly into another room. Opening her eyes, Usagi noticed that he had moved her into what looked like a well furnished office. As he gently lowered her to the only sofa in the room, the pressure inside of her increased, making her moan in agony.

* * *

Mamoru washed his hands in the bathroom and was just about ready to panic. He was only a second year medical student, and what he knew about childbirth came from the textbooks, which added up to very little.

He came out of the bathroom, and went to check on her. She was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and continued to moan. Mamoru felt her abdomen just as another contraction started.

Quickly, he grabbed her hand as she sobbed and moaned.

Mamoru talked to her as soothingly as possible.

"You're ok...you'll make it. I need you to pant for me, can you do that for me?"

He smiled slightly as he heard her do as he asked, and soon she sighed. The contraction was over.

Mamoru knew she was scared, so he kept his voice light and even.

"You know, you still haven't told me your name."

He saw her face grimace into one of concentration, but after a few moments she finally whimpered. "Tsukino Usagi."

"Usagi, that is a beautiful name. My name is Chiba Mamoru," he replied, positioning her to where her head rested on one of the armrests, and her legs were braced against the other armrest.

He heard Taka peek in. "Yo, Mamoru-kun, need anything?"

"Bring me as many clean towels you can spare, and call an ambulance," Mamoru replied tersely. When he heard Taka leave, he turned back to her, quickly recalling the material he had read on childbirth.

"Usagi, I need you to listen very carefully to me. I need to check you to see how far the baby has come down the birth canal, ok?"

Getting an incoherent mumble in reply, Mamoru went to feel for her cervix, and was shocked to discover that the baby's head was already halfway delivered.

Taka brought in an armload of towels, and Mamoru grabbed at them eagerly.

"Taka, hold her hand. Usagi, looks like your baby doesn't want to wait on anyone.  
I need you to bear down and push this baby out."

* * *

Finally, the words she had been waiting to hear. Usagi leaned up with Taka's help and bore down with what little strength she had left. Precious seconds ticked by until the pain made her back off, falling back into Taka's arms.

"I can't do this, it hurts."

She heard Mamoru's voice grow harsh, "Where's the girl who called me a jerk a few hours ago huh? The baby needs your help Usagi, now push!"

Taka propped her up again.

Reluctantly, Usagi did as she was instructed. The pain returned in full force, but she could hear him encouraging her.

"That's it, you are doing it, just a little more."

She continued her efforts, and a few seconds later much of the pressure she was feeling below was released.

Mamoru's voice became more energetic. "Ok, the head's out. Stop pushing, I need to do a little work and your baby will be born."

She fell back into Taka's arms and waited in anticipation. Usagi soon felt a wave of pain, then intense relief as she saw Mamoru pulling up her baby into an awaiting towel, He then cleaned the baby and cleared the mucous from her mouth. When Usagi heard her baby's cry, it made the whole picture complete.

It was all over. After months of waiting, her baby was finally here. She smiled, wiping away tears of joy from her eyes.

* * *

Mamoru washed his hands in the bathroom, and thought about Usagi. She had done well, delivering a beautiful baby girl. The paramedics came soon after Mamoru had cut the cord,  
and had commended him for a job well done. He decided not to mention to them that he was too busy to be scared.  
They had some trouble when Usagi lost consciousness soon after the placenta was delivered, but they told him that Usagi seemed to be anemic, accounting for what happened.

He wanted to go see Usagi, make sure she was ok, and check in on the baby. Smiling, Mamoru thought about how she would be the perfect wife and mother, and how he would like to be in that picture- but then he realized Usagi might have ties to someone special, and he couldn't interfere with that.

With a sigh, he pushed his conflicted emotions aside and went to hunt for a phonebook.

* * *

She didn't want to wake up, but Mrs. Chen would be leaving for work soon,  
and she would need some help with her daughter and-

Usagi opened her eyes and almost panicked. This wasn't her room at the Chen's. She tried to stretch and get out of bed, but her body protested with aches and pains that she never remembered having before. _-What the?-_

"Good to see you awake."

The distinctive male voice nabbed at her. Turning her head, she recognized the man sitting in the nearby chair as the one who helped her deliver her baby.

"You're Chiba Mamoru..."

His smile seemed to light up the room. "We worried about you when you lost consciousness, but everything seems to check out. You tested anemic and blood sugar count was low, but the doctors have got you balanced out. Oh, and Taka sends his regards and will give you a free meal if you will visit his restaurant again."

She laughed and looked around. "Poor Taka, I thought I was going to break his hand when he was helping me through the pain. So when can I see my baby?"

Mamoru got to his feet, and stood beside her bed. "The staff was just waiting for you to wake up. I can go have them bring her to you now if you like."

She felt a smile creep over her face. Everything was going to be ok, and she had a new baby daughter to take care of. Usagi started to relax, until he spoke again.

"I almost forgot, I called Mrs. Chen, and she can't wait to see her new godchild. Is there anyone else you need me to contact: husband, boyfriend?"

* * *

Mamoru noticed a change come over her almost instantly. Gone was the smile that had come so easily a few moments ago, and her countenance took on an icy stare.

Usagi's tone also shared the same iciness. "I have no one. Mamoru-san, could you ask them to go ahead and bring my baby in please?"

"Of course."

He quickly exited the room and closed the door. It was odd, but it was almost as if it got cold as Antarctica in there.

Mamoru stopped by the nurse's desk to make the request, and then went to the waiting room to meet up with Mrs. Chen.

He found her playing with blocks in the corner of the room with her daughter. Her daughter seemed to share the same dark-jet black hair and the same eye color with her mother. They both looked happy together as she placed blocks into a tower and her mischievous daughter knocked them down.

When he approached them, the daughter took one look at him, and dived behind her mother.  
Mrs. Chen looked around, and noticing Mamoru, smiled warmly.

"Hello Mamoru-san how is our Usagi-Chan?"

"She's awake and ready to see her baby," he replied with an uneasy smile.

"I'm glad for her. I want to thank you for being there when she needed you. I told her not to go out in her condition, but she insisted on helping my dear Keiko." She looked down at her hiding daughter warmly. "Usagi-Chan loves her as much as I do."

Mamoru shifted uncomfortably. If anyone knew why Usagi was acting weird, it would be her.  
"Mrs. Chen, there's something I wanted to ask you about. When I asked Usagi if there was a husband or a boyfriend that I should contact, she shut me out. Do you know what that is all about?"

This time it was Mrs. Chen's features that locked into an icy stare.

"Mamoru-san, I wish you hadn't asked her that. What did she tell you?"

"She told me that she had no one, why?" Mamoru asked.

Mrs. Chen thought about something at great length before she answered.

"It's not my story to tell, Mamoru-san. She came to my house to be Keiko's nanny about seven months ago, and she only just told me the whole story about two months ago. If you want to find out what's going on, I'd suggest you ask her. Take heed, she doesn't trust a lot of people, but considering the circumstances, I think she will open up to you."

She stood up, and took her daughter in hand.

"Well, I am afraid I can't stay for now. The doctor wanted to see Keiko and make sure the medicine that she has been taking is helping her beat this flu that's going around. Goodbye Mamoru-san, and I hope we will meet again."

Keiko waved goodbye to him, as she and her mother left the waiting room.

* * *

The nurses brought Usagi's daughter in, and left them to have some time alone. 

Usagi held her tiny daughter close. It was quite an effort, but it had been worth it.  
She nuzzled her close, allowing her to drink in the smell of her daughter.

The only other thing she hadn't decided on was a name. There hadn't been that much time, what with taking care of Keiko and helping Mrs. Chen, along with handling her own troubles.

_-My own troubles-_

Nine months ago she had been on top of the world and deeply in love. Little changed,  
except now she had someone new to love.

"I love you, my little bundle of joy," she cooed, stroking her baby's face tenderly.

Usagi sighed deeply as her daughter closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

_-I can't stay here.-_

Laying her daughter carefully on the bed, she slowly slipped out of bed, and went to get the clothes from the nearby closet.

It was a painfully slow process, but she managed to finish dressing and picked her daughter up in her arms. With luck, she could sneak out and-

"Where do you think you are going?"

* * *

I must be crazy. I have a Jonny Quest fic and a Sailor Moon fic going on at the same time,  
plus I signed up for National Novel writing month, plus my work schedule.

Why are muses sadists anyhow -sigh-?

Part two coming soon.

Till later,

Time Guardian


	2. Rude Awakening

Note: Thanks to _ruinkaimaramon_ for the idea on Usagi's stage name. I couldn't think of one at all. Anyhow, here is the next chapter. Enjoy... 

**_Chance Encounter_**  
An Alternate Reality romance  
by _Time Guardian_

_Chapter 2 - Rude Awakening  
_

* * *

"Where do you think you are going?" 

The voice was the same harsh one she heard when she was in labor.

She turned around to face him. Maybe if she appealed to him-

"I can't stay here, Mamoru-san."

* * *

Mamoru strode up to her angrily. Usagi had only given birth a few hours ago,  
and now it looked like she was dressed and was ready to flee. To her credit, she had the look of a determined woman. However, when he saw Usagi bent over to pick up her daughter, he could see her visibly wince in pain. 

"That's it. You either hand your daughter over and go back to bed where you belong, or I will call in the nurses and have them do it for me," he demanded.

She frowned at him. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

After she stared at him for a few moments, Mamoru relaxed when Usagi handed her child over to him.

"That's much better."

* * *

Usagi couldn't believe her bad luck. She was so close in escaping this place and getting on the road. She couldn't go back to Mrs. Chen's place, and she couldn't trust him. There wasn't that many options left. 

She pulled back the covers and got back into bed, and though her body thanked her for the relief, Usagi wasn't going to admit that to him, the jerk.

She saw Mamoru pull a chair close to her bed with one hand, and sat down with her baby.

"If you are wondering by the way," he stated quietly, "Mrs. Chen didn't tell me your secret, but I was hoping that you would tell me."

Usagi gave him the hardest gaze she could muster. It was hard staring into his deep blue eyes, but she caught her breath and managed to stammer. "I- can't."

His voice remained soft, but daring. "Can't, or won't?"

Usagi felt her heart ache. He was handsome with his short black hair and warm smile. The way he held her child evoked warm tender feelings from within her that she hadn't felt in some time.

But the last time she trusted someone fully, she paid for it dearly. She remembered the explosions, the blood, the lifeless body of her fiance, the threatening notes sent to her parents- it was too much to bear.

"Usagi?"

She seemed to zone out on him, and looked on the verge of tears. Mamoru made his voice soft, but just enough to snap Usagi back to the present. He heard her voice tremble. "I have trusted the wrong people before. How can I trust you?"

He looked at her intently. "Well I do seem to remember that we have shared the second most intimate form of contact. Besides, I don't think you have been calling me 'Mamoru-san' for nothing, or have you?"

She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Mamoru had been the only outsider (save for the pharmasicist and doctor) that Usagi had spoken to, and that was only because he scared her out of her wits.

He reminded her of the male models she had seen at partes and in fashion magazines, hardly a hair out of place, and a lean muscular body that required a lot of attention.

It was then Usagi realized that she had been alone for way too long. Sure, Mrs. Chen provided a mother figure, but she missed the companionship of her friends and family, plus the one love of her life which was no more. She was wary.

She decided to give Mamoru a chance-or a way out.

"Ok...but if I involve you in this, your life could be in danger. Do you still want to hear my story?"

* * *

Mamoru sat back in astonishment. Danger? This was the stuff of spy and adventure novels. He was but a University student studying to become a doctor, the only thing dangerous he was expecting to do was working in the hectic life of the emergency room, not anything like this. He looked down at the baby girl in his arms, and saw that she was still asleep. Mamoru felt a sense of protectiveness wash over him. She was but an innocent, not knowing anything of what her mother was going through. She didn't deserve to be on the run.

Mamoru finally looked back at Usagi. There was a haunted look in her blue eyes that made him want to take her in his arms to banish the fears away. She couldn't be any more than twenty by his guess, and yet Usagi's expression made her look old beyond her years.

He decided quicky. "I will help you anyway I can, I promise. Now tell me your story."

* * *

Usagi smiled in relief at his answer. With Mamoru's help, there might be a chance, but first, she had to tell her story.

"Mamoru-san, do you know of a singer by the name of Aria Aure?"

She saw him frown slightly, and then shook his head before he replied. "No. Should I have?"

Laughter bubbled up from her soul. "You can't be serious. A year ago every newspaper and news program was filled with her exploits."

"A year ago then? That explains it," Mamoru said. "I was studying for my finals and-"

He never got to finish his sentence.

A group of what looked like reporters barged into her hospital room, cameras blazing and voices mingling into a chorus of anarchy.

The sudden noise startled the baby, who woke up with an angry wail.

Mamoru stood stiffly, handed the baby carefully to Usagi, and turned to face the mob.

"What is the meaning of this? This is a hospital room, you can't just barge in here and-"

The reporters appeared not to hear him, and raised their voices to drown out his. He struggled to bar them from coming even further into the room, when he heard a question from them that made his blood run cold:

"Tsukino-san, what was it like giving birth to the child of the man you murdered?"

* * *

-ducks flying objects- I'm sorry for ending the chapter here, but I had a plan for this, and it changed at the last moment. I blame all those mystery books I have read, but I digress.

Next chapter: The tables have turned: Mamoru now is the one that doesn't trust Usagi!  
Will he listen to the rest of her story, or is it all over?

Till later,

Time Guardian


	3. Stories Told

**_Chance Encounter_**  
An alternate reality romance  
by Time Guardian 

_Chapter 3 - Stories Told_

She gasped.

THEY had found her. Damn her for listening to Mamoru. Usagi had been avoiding them for so long, and now that the media had found her, her stalker would find her too, and her life would soon be forfeit.

And her once chance for help had been dashed. There would be an extremely slim chance that he would listen to her now since they revealed part of her secret in such a callous and inhumane fashion. She had been framed though! It was getting harder for people to listen though and soon the people she loved were threatened, that is why she fled in the first place.

Tears streaked down Usagi's face, and her sobs mixed in with her child's. She couldn't help it. Happiness seemed out of her reach now.

* * *

Mamoru stood stunned for a moment when he had heard the question shouted from one of the reporters. 

Looking around at Usagi, he saw her total expression of defeat. Her tear-streaked face tugged at his heart, and it was not doing anything for her daughter either, who continued to wail against the unwarranted intrusion.

His sensei had always drilled into him the need for objectivity where the patient-doctor relationship was concerned. That was first and foremost.

Right now though, all he wanted to do was kick out all of the reporters and hold her close until her cares went away.

Mamoru shook his head roughly to clear out the image. He did make a promise to help her and that was exactly what he planned to do. That was the only way he could help Usagi at this point, and it looked like he better hurry by the looks of the mob.

Diving for the phone on the nearby stand next to the bed, he quickly punched in a number he knew by heart. After a few rings, a familiar voice came onto the line.

Mamoru spoke quickly.

"Superintendent Karuka? Hai, this is Chiba Mamoru. It has been a long time sir. I know this is much to ask of you since I have not spoken to you in so long, but I need to ask a favor, and quickly. One of the patients in your hospital is being harassed by reporters and she has just given birth to a child. Neither are too happy at the moment, and we could use some interference on her behalf. Hai, it is kind of a complicated story. I am willing to take full responsibility for her actions, sir.  
You will? You have my gratitude sir. Goodbye."

Hanging up the phone, he turned to the amassed crowd of media.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, and I use that term quite loosely I assure you,  
I have just spoken to the head of this hospital. He is currently sending a personal security squad to cordon off this room so that this patient can rest without being molested by members of the press. Is she wishes to make a statement, she will do so in forty-eight hours time when she is due to be released. If any one sneaks into this room anytime before then, they will be kicked out of the hospital and not allowed to return, is that clear?"

Grumbling and protests rose up from the group, but they were soon quelled as two large gentlemen dressed in gray suits came into the room and began escorting the crowd out.

* * *

Usagi was truly amazed. Mamoru had effectively in the course of an hour cleared her hospital room, and they were alone once more. The two men that had cleared the room were currently standing guard on the outside of the room. 

Mamoru sat beside her as she uncovered one of her breasts, and allowed her daughter to drink to her heart's content.

She had thought at first that she would be embarrassed to feed her daughter in front of him, but as it happened, Usagi felt comfortable and at ease. All she had been feeling was a gentle tugging by her child.

Usagi was calm now, and yet a little prick of fear reared its ugly head. From the phone call that she had heard him make, Mamoru was willing to stake his reputation with the head of the hospital in order to see her safe. She didn't know whether to cry or to kiss him.

Well, at the very least she could thank him.

"Mamoru-san, words cannot express how grateful I am to you. I thought for sure once you had heard their side of the story, that you would turn your back on me."

Mamoru looked at her intently. "I made a promise that I intend to keep. You still have not told me everything though, and if I am to help you steer clear of those 'jackals', I will need to know. No more secrets, at least from me, okay Usagi-chan?"

Her ears perked up at the reference. He was willing to trust her! The miracle she was hoping for had finally come.

So finally, after being on the run for a little over a year, Usagi began her story:

"Ten years ago, I was just a carefree child who loved to sing. I would sing in the shower,  
sing on the way to school, sing in the talent shows, basically in every opportunity I could,  
I would sing. It felt good, and it was my favorite way to express myself."

"My parents enjoyed and encouraged my talent. Every night before I went to bed, they would always tell me to reach high, that the last and best piece of fruit is right at the top of the tree, and it would take effort and hard work to get there, but it would be well worth it."

"One day I had come home from school, and they were both there to greet me with a flyer they had gotten earlier. A talent scout had pooled his finances, and was holding a talent show, with the stakes being much higher: The prize for the winner was to be a walk-on role for a television show."

"They presented the idea to me, and asked me if I had wanted to do it. I was young, impressionable, and that sounded exciting."

"I ended up winning the competition, and that's is when my dizzying ride began."

"My agent managed to find the best gigs for me, I was playing to sold out shows, and then finally after about three years of just strictly performing, I was allowed to cut an album."

"It was an instant success. I became famous, was invited to all the right parties, met all the right people. I was having a blast."

"It wasn't until about two years ago that I finally began to feel my age. I had just turned twenty, and everything seemed more demanding. The record company was demanding me cut a second album which was long overdue, and my agent wanted me to branch out into acting."

"It was then that I met...HIM. Nakamura Toya. He was a handsome actor I had met during one of the many parties I always went to. With long raven black hair and black eyes, he was of the same mindset I was. Life had increased its demands on him, and he was ready to flee. we had subsequent dates, and I fell in love with him."

Usagi let out a shuddering breath. Now came the part of the story she dreaded to remember.

"It was then that the threatening letters began. At first they only berated me for having such a 'good life' but then they became downright menacing. I kept showing them to Toya, but he laughed them off, telling me that he got those type of things all of the time."

"Eventually for a few months there, the letters trickled off, and I was able to focus on Toya.  
Our love grew like no other, and soon, he proposed to me on the last day of filming for the movie he was doing."

"The time for the wedding approached, and Toya decided to hold a party on a large boat- I think Toya called it a cabin cruiser. We invited friends from both of our circles, and it was shaping up to be quite a party. Toya had even driven the cruiser out into more open water, so we could be as boisterous as we wanted to."

"Later on the boat that night, Toya took me outside to see the stars. We had big plans, and I even brought up the subject of retiring from my singing career. He told me that it did not matter to him, as long as I was happy and still be able to spend time with him. He was due to start a new movie role in about two months, so for the moment, he had plenty of time."

"I will always remember that night like if it was yesterday. Things heated up between us- and we ended up retiring to his room on the boat. It had been my first time that I- I had ever 'been' with a man, and it was wonderful. We had no cares in the world. It was just me and Toya, hearts and minds within one and at peace with each other. We were due to be married the next day in front of our friends, family, and the media, and we loved each other deeply. What more could a girl ask for?"

"This next part...is difficult to talk about. We had both fallen asleep in his room, and we had woken up to the sound of an explosion. we rushed to put on our clothes, and found the whole boat in chaos. Flames all around us, party guests were jumping into the water, it was pure chaos."

"Toya grabbed for a cache of life jackets that were near the front of the boat and started handing them out to everybody, and I helped as much as I could, and then he got ready to send me off."

"'Stay safe my little rabbit' he told me, and then helped me over the railing so I could jump into the water."

"I saw him get ready to do the same...when the boat erupted into one final explosion. He was thrown about ten feet away from...us..."

Usagi's voice dissolved into sobs.

"The pain feels just as raw as it did that night. He died later that night on the operating table, or so I was told. I managed to only escape with bumps and bruises, and had a rough night's stay in the hospital. When my parents found out, they invited me back home to recuperate. It was then that I suffered the ultimate betrayal."

She took a breath, and managed to calm herself.

"From what I managed to gather, an anonymous tip was called into the police, and they in turn got authorization to search my apartment. They found papers, with partial writings of the death threats I had been receiving."

Mamoru saw Usagi shiver slightly.

"So, in the course of a few days, I went from grieving lover into a black widow. Never mind that my only alibi was Toya, and he died in the accident. They began their investigation of the boat and found it to have been sabotaged. By what, I don't know. Once they found those papers, they shut me out of everything. They also began weaving a theory that I had somehow arranged the whole thing."

"A week after that, I started getting violently ill every day. I thought it was just the stress of the whole situation, but my mom knew better. She had me smuggled into a women's clinic in a remote part of Kyoto. That was when...I found out that I was carrying Toya's child."

She looked down at her daughter tenderly.

"I would never forget that moment. In the back of my mind, I was insanely happy, because I still had a piece of Toya with me in this child. I had planned to stay in seclusion with my parent's until the child was born, but the threat's began again - sent to my parent's home this time. I knew that I could not stay. The man I had wanted to marry died because of me, I couldn't put anymore people in danger."

"So I did my best to conceal myself. I had my hair cut...and I forgone the makeup that I normally used. I took jobs wherever I could, and I took care of myself as best as I could. No one recognized me, and the name of Aria Aure soon left the spotlight. I managed enough to pay the rent and buy my maternity clothes. It was when I finally met Mrs. Chen that I received the most help. I think she took me in because she is a single mother herself. Her husband had died in an industrial accident abut six months earlier, so she was looking for a nanny for Keiko while she earned a living. She took care of me, made sure I ate, and that was where I stayed, until I met up with you."

Usagi sighed. "And that is my story, and why I am here, and that is why I need to leave. The media had followed my exploits all of the way to my parent's house, and that put them in danger. I can't put anyone else in danger."

Mamoru had listened quietly to her story, and watched Usagi finish feeding her daughter. Once she had called in a nurse to take the child back to the nursery, he made his move.

"Usagi-chan, you have seen more heartache than anyone should have to see in a lifetime, but you still have a lot to learn about people. Do not sell yourself short. In the past few hours you have done everything in your power to push me away, and wanting to face this danger yourself. For one thing, you are going to be busy raising a daughter and-" Mamoru raised a hand to sush her when she started to protest. "-and for another, you assume that no one would want to share in your troubles. I have already committed myself to your cause Usagi-chan, because for one thing, I can not stand for injustice."

He then leaned over and kissed her on the lips, then stood back up. "And for another thing, I can not bear to see you in pain one moment longer. You had the look of a caged animal when those reporters broke in here, and don't think I didn't notice either. Now I have to go get some sleep, but I will see you tomorrow afternoon, after my classes. Now get some sleep, and don't worry, ok?"

Usagi nodded as she watched him leave, still stunned by his reaction. It had been so long since she allowed anyone to get close, her feelings were all jumbled.

She leaned back into the softness of the bed, and slowly worked her way into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

Mamoru exited the hospital, and then turned to look back at the massive building. He had promised Usagi the world, but he did not have the first idea on how to begin. He had even automatically used a resource that he promised himself that he would never use.

Damnit though, she was hurting. His instinct told him to trust her and he found himself trusting Usagi even more so now.

Mamoru made the long walk to the parking lot to retrieve his bike so he could go home.

* * *

Okay, I am finally back. I have won NanowriMo (yay!) and hopefully will find a publisher for it,  
after a little editing and tooling.

Next Chapter: Mamoru's best defense? He invites Usagi and her daughter to stay at his place while they find a way to clear her name, but could other things get into the way?

Edit: spelling corrections

Till next time,

Time Guardian


	4. A Plan Misguided

**_Chance Encounter_**  
An alternate reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian 

_Chapter 4 - A Plan Misguided_

The next afternoon after he had visted Usagi in the hospital, Mamoru stopped by Mrs. Chen's house to propose his plan to help Usagi. When he presented it though, he got less than a warm reception.

She balked. "So you are going to have Usagi and her daughter live with you until you can help her track down her stalker? I do not think this is such a wise idea Mamoru-san."

"I do not see where there is much choice actually. She absolutely has refused to come back to your house, and I practically had to force my help on her. If what she says is true, then I will be ready handle it," he protested.

Shaking her head sadly, Mrs. Chen asked, "Will you? Are you sure you know what you are proposing? You are a second year medical student, a time where classes and grades are the most crucial, and you are proposing to take in a mother and her child? She has no viable job right now."

"You could bring Keiko over to my place and she can watch both of them," he suggested.

Mrs. Chen sighed. "There is one other thing you haven't thought of. You live alone. I suppose that means you only have a one bedroom apartment. what are you going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

"I have purchased a sofa with a built in bed," he replied calmly. "I will sleep there and she can use my bed."

Mrs. Chen gave him a hard look. "I suppose it is the mother in me, but I still don't like this. Yet, I suppose you were going to do it anyway, regardless of how I felt."

Mamoru nodded. "I gave her my promise."

She grabbed her purse. "Well then, you are going to need help to get your place set. Let me help you pack Usagi's things, and then I am taking you to the baby store."

* * *

Later that evening, Mamoru sat in his living room and cursed the bright soul that invented the baby crib. There were scattered bits and pieces surrounding him, and after working on it for three hours, all he had managed to figure out was how to attach the finnials to the ends of the crib legs. 

Mrs. Chen had attacked the store like a whirlwind, picking up this and that and a little bit of everything else. Against Mamoru's protests, she even paid for everything,  
and even helped him unload the stuff into his apartment.

When the last of the items were unloaded, Mrs. Chen turned to him and smiled. "Now Mamoru-san, you have everything you need to help her with the raising of her child.  
Just promise me one thing: Don't hurt her. She had gone from doing what she loved, to finding love, to running for her life. Usagi felt that she did what she had to do to protect herself, and she doesn't need to be hurt again. She needs to be safe and happy."

Mamoru replied with admiration. "You have been like a mother to her for these past few months, and it has made her stronger. I also want to see her safe and happy again, and I will not do anything to hurt hurt her, I promise."

She had left soon afterwords, and Mamoru pondered the conversation as he finally made headway on the crib. There was a lot of work to do, and if he could get Usagi to trust him, things would probably work out.

With a weary sigh, he returned at the task at hand.

* * *

Usagi's doctor released her the next evening with a clean bill of health. Mamoru smuggled her out of a different exit and they were able to avoid the media group that had camped out in front of the hospital. 

He then packed both mother and daughter safely into his car, and made short drive to his apartment.

Usagi's curiousity was aroused as they finally pulled into the parking garage of his complex. She had recognized this area and knew that mostly wealthy and well to do businessmen and their families lived here. There were definitely a few sides to Mamoru that she did not know about.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you, Mamoru-san."

Carrying her sleeping daughter, Usagi followed Mamoru as they rode the elveator up to the third floor, then went down the hallway to his apartment.

Mamoru gave her a grin as he unlocked the door to his apartment and beckoned them inside. "Seeing you smile is payment enough, Usagi-chan."

Usagi stared at the spacious living room in front front of her. what made it seem huge was the lack of furniture. There was a sofa,two lounging chairs, a small table and a flat screen TV. She had been to numerous apartments for parties and what not, and they were chocked full of furniture art and other pieces. Even Toya's place-

With a start, she realized that she was rehashing old memories that she had thought long buried. Toya's apartment was indeed as beautiful as he was. He liked to be surrounded by beauty and-

"Have you thought of a name for your daughter yet?"

The question came out of the blue, snapping her out of her downward spiral.

"Hmm?"

"I said: Have you thought of a name for your daughter yet? The nurses told me you had not chose a name and they were wanting to complete the birth certificate," Mamoru teased, "besides, you can't keep calling her 'baby' or 'your kid' forever."

Actually she hadn't. In all of the chaos of the past few days she hadn't. Even while she was working for Mrs. Chen, she thought little about her child.

* * *

Mamoru relaxed his features. He must have hit a sore spot with Usagi, for she looked like she sunk back deep into thought. 

"Relax. You do not have to come up with one right away. Besides, with the way the past few days have gone, both of you deserve a long rest. In the right hand hallway you will find my bedroom. You will also find a nice soft bed for yourself, a crib for your daughter, and assorted baby supplies, thanks to the assistance of one Mrs. Chen," he told her with a smile.

"But where will you sleep, Mamoru-san?"

He pointed to the sofa. "It pulls out into a bed. I will get some sleep on it."

Usagi frowned slightly. "I am putting you out of your own bed. Let me take the sofa bed and-"

Mamoru grabbed her free arm, and started steering her towards the bedroom. "You are taking the bedroom. End of discussion. It is about time that you take care of yourself and your little one. Now get in there before I tell Mrs. Chen on you."

She giggled. "You two are conspiring against me, no fair! Oh all right, but at least let me give you a token of my gratitude."

Usagi leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. She then pulled back and smiled.

"Goodnight Mamoru-san."

He nodded, almost to stunned to speak. "Goodnight Usagi-chan."

She turned, walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

With a sigh, Mamoru went back to the couch and sat down. More like laid down actaully. He wasn't ready for bed yet, so he wasn't planning on pulling out the bed from the sofa just yet.

Smiling, he could still feel the heat from her kiss. It felt good and-

Oh Damn, it was happening again.

Mamoru sat straight up, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. After adjusting the volume so that it wouldn't wake mother nor child, he sat with his arms folded and tried to distract himself. The last thing Usagi needed now was a new suitor, especially since it was obvious that she had not put Toya's memory totally to rest yet.

Yep, he was most assuredly in too deep.

* * *

Preview of chapter 5: Usagi and Mamoru find out more about eash others pasts, and find out they have more in common than they thought.

till next time,

Time Guardian


	5. A past revisited

_**Chance Encounter  
**_An alternate reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian 

_**Chapter 5**_ - _A Past Revisited_

The new day turned up earlier than Mamoru had expected. with a groan, he sat into an upright position from the sofa and gazed out of his window at the rising sun. With a groan, he realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch without pulling out the bed from it. The aching protesting muscles in his back told him that he would be regretting that choice for the rest of the day.

However, the smells eminating from his kitchen served to recharge his batteries.

Mamoru got up, stretched, and padded his way into the kitchen where he saw Usagi standing near the stove. She was humming a little tune and cooking up a wonderful breakfast by the smell of it.

* * *

Usagi relaxed for the first time since she had lived with Mrs. Chen. She had been on the run for so long, but this past year felt like heaven. She was around people who liked her for who she was and believed her, and she had a beautiful baby girl to love and adore. 

She had gotten up early to allow her baby to feed on her milk, then put her down in her crib for an after breakfast snooze. When Usagi walked out into the living room, she noticed that Mamoru was still sound asleep, so she decided to fix them both breakfast.

Humming a little tune, she had the eggs frying and she had just put on some slices of sausage to fry, when she turned around and noticed Mamoru standing there.

"Oh Mamoru-san, I hope you don't mind, but I figured you would be hungry so I fixed us both some breakfast. Why don't you have a seat, and I will serve us."

Mamoru turned and sat down at his dining table and watched her work.

"So, how did you sleep last night Usagi-chan?"

"Pretty well," she replied idly. "Chibi-Usa woke me up once or twice, but she was relativly quiet, and she drank her fill this morning too."

He smiled. "So you did decide on a name for her."

Usagi nodded. "She looks like me in so many ways, and that reminded me of Toya's pet name for me, so I named her Usagi. My precious little girl, my Chibi-Usa. Do you think Toya would have liked it?"

He nodded solemnly. "I think that he would have."

She finished frying the sausage and plated generous servings of both eggs and sausage on two plates, grabbed some utensils from the counter, and brought them to the table.

Mamoru nodded in appreciation. "Thank you Usagi-chan for preparing such a fine breakfast. I actually had you pegged as one who would want a traditional breakfast."

"I have Mrs. Chen to thank for that. I had always had rice and miso soup in the mornings till I went to live with her. She had gone on business trips to the United States before,  
so she fell in love with the breakfast foods there. She claimed it was her one and only vice, and taught me how to cook all of those foods properly."

Mamoru grinned. "Actually, I have done some studying there as well. The food is outstanding and can be quite addicting."

"Really? I wish I could go there someday."

Usagi's gaze grew distant.

Mamoru looked at her. "You mean to tell me that you never toured the United States?"

A look of misery came over her as she shook her head. "The tour I was on was due to go worldwide after my wedding."

"I am sorry. Bringing up memories can be painful, and I know you have had your fair share."

Usagi laughed harshly. "Some might say more than, but enough about me for a moment. I have been curious to ask you ever since we arrived, but how can a medical student afford such an extravagant apartment? You have space to move around freely in, you have a seperate bedroom, and everything."

Mamoru stared at his plate. "My father was a medical research scientist. He was in on a couple of different medical studies regarding cancer and AIDS, among numerous others. I grew up in his footsteps, and began my studies as a medical doctor. We were never in need of money: the hospital paid him plenty to stay around. My mother learned quickly that on most evenings she would be entertaining his collegues at our house as dinner guests. I think it ended up being more for bragging rights than anything else. Even the head of the hospital came over often enough to be considered as a friend of the family."

Realization dawned on her. "Superintendant Karuka? You mean the hospital where I stayed at...I didn't mean for you to have to use your connections to see me safe and all. Your parents-"

Mamoru interrupted her. "Usagi-chan, my parents have passed on. They died in a car accident a year after I came to this University. Karuka-san took me under his wing, and with his help, along with an inheritance my parents left me, I have been able to afford school and this apartment. I had not been in touch with him in a while because I wanted to get as far as I could on my own, but he was understanding. Karuka-san always told me that if I needed help, he was only a phone call away."

He got up, cleared the plates from the table, and placed them in the sink.

"Today is one of my lighter days. My classes don't start until the afternoon, and I finished the only paper I had due today."

Usagi got up and went to the sofa.

"That's great. So, what do you want to do until then?"

Mamoru washed the dishes in the sink, then joined Usagi on the sofa.

"Well, it is not safe for you to go outside yet. I was thinking that maybe we could talk about you and your career for a while."

She was taken aback for a moment, till Usagi realized that he was wanting info to help find out who the stalker was. A brief stab of disappointment went through her. "As in who in my life wanted to see me suffer? I wouldn't know. I was so busy making money to pay those greedy bastards on my crew, I was too busy to notice who was trying to stab me in the back."

He threw his hands up in resignation. "Whoa, lets start slow. I know you are bitter and all-"

Usagi sighed. "More than just bitter, actually. I am sorry for taking it out on you, but the frustration is getting to me. Because of all of this, I can't see my parents, I can't do what I love to to do and-"

"Nobody is stopping you from singing, Usagi-chan," he quietly replied, "and you sure have the prisoner's mentality down pat. Oh, you may not be able to perform in front of people for now, but you still can sing."

"You don't understand, Mamoru-san, I-"

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Then make me understand. You have a child in there that is dependent on you. Your life is no longer totally your own. If you truly want to do what you love once again, then tell me more about your past life. Who surrounded you, who supported you, and even who may have wanted to see you fall. If we can track down this stalker, you name will be cleared, you will be able to perform like you want and make money to support your daughter. That is what you want, right?"

Usagi gulped and nodded as Mamoru released his grip on her.

She started her tale in a quiet, weary voice. "The strangest thing about the start of my career was that it was an American who helped to bankroll the talent competition and in the end he became my agent. His name was Bob Sanderson, but he told me to always call him Bobby-san. He was good to me, told me that he had come to live in Japan due to his TV entertainment company wanting to branch out globally, so he helped to bankroll the competition to find new talent. After I had won the competition, he started booking me at parties and private functions. They were mostly business lunches and dinners, but I also got to perform in one or two ceremonies on occasion. In those days, there was no crew, so I traveled with my microphone. Bobby-san would always rent the services of a local musician and everything was set.

There was one day when Bobby-san booked me into a corporate party for his TV company. He had gone all out, hiring a full band to back me up, and he asked me to sing more songs than normal. I thought it strange, until it was all over.

After my performance, Bobby-san introduced me to Shinjiro Akuma, the head of Titan records. Come to find out, he had been in the audience and was impressed with my performance. We went into a big room and sat down with him. A sheaf of papers was shoved our way. Bobby-san wouldn't let me see them, but he shoved a pen in my hand and told me that if I signed them, I would be able to perform to crowds three times the size I was playing now, and the money would be endless."

"So you signed something without reading it or having your parents present?" Mamoru asked.

"Yeah, hindsight is 20-20 isn't it?" She replied with a wry smile. "However, his promise of fame and fortune did me in. I signed the paper, and thus Aria Aure was born."

"The first thing Bobby-san did was hire a manager for me, and got me into the studio quickly to do an album. My manager had a strange name...lesse, Shiji? umm no...uh it has been so long.  
Anyway, after the album was released, my manager organized a country wide tour. He hired backup singers, a band, the works. I almost felt like a princess."

"Really the rest I have already told you. time basically passed and it was fun for a while, but I found that the obligations of being a 'star' to be draining."

"Those threats and messages you told me about, did you manage to keep any of them?" Mamoru asked.

She thought for a moment. "No, but Bobby-san did. I remember going to him about them and I remember him filing them away."

"Where's his office?"

"At the heart of the business district, not far from where you first found me, why?"

Mamoru stood. "That's a bit of a trip to take today, and I would like for you to go with me. We could ask Mrs. Chen to babysit for a while tomorrow while we visit him."

Usagi's gaze became distant. "That would be cool...I guess..."

He touched her on the shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I guess I am a little afraid of what we will find out. I distanced myself from that life because I didn't know who to trust. I figured that one of the people involved with the tour had to have been the stalker, so I decided to shun the whole thing and run. Now you are asking me to fight for my old life again."

"Don't worry, I will be by your side all of the way," he promised. "Besides, I never got a chance to catch your craze the first time around. I want to hear you sing."

* * *

Next chapter: Usagi meets up wth her past: Her old manager wants her to sing again, but is it for the right reasons?

Thank you to all who have reviewed so far. Life has dealt me a few cruel turns, but I am feeling confident about everything smoothing out so I can write uninterrupted.

Till Later,  
Time Guardian


	6. Love and Courage

_**The things that real life will hit you with: I have lost my job...making my free time almost non existent because those bill people sure do love their money, so a hunting I will go. :P**_

_**Till things get settled, I cannot guarantee anything future wise, but here is the next chapter.**_

_**Chance encounter**_  
An alternate reality Sailor Moon romance  
_by Time Guardian_

Chapter 6 - _Love and Courage_

Later that evening, Mamoru returned home from his afternoon classes totally spent. Even though he was a quick study where anatomy was concerned, learning all of the medical terminology was proving to be quite a headache, and with the exam the professor announced for a few days from now, he was going to be spending a few sleepless nights.

Entering his apartment, he threw his textbooks down on a nearby chair, and then headed towards the kitchen. He had told Usagi to go ahead and eat without him, but he was hoping to score a few leftovers in the refrigerator.

Opening the fridge door, he was greeted with a variety of sights, including a plate filled high with marinated vegetables and fried rice. He picked up the plate to put in the microwave when he spotted a small folded piece of pink paper that had been underneath. moving the plate to the microwave and turning it on, Mamoru grabbed the note and read it.

Mamoru-san-

I cooked a little too much tonight, but I figured you could use a little brain food to study with. Enjoy!

Usagi

Smiling, he put the note into his pocket, and retrieved his meal from the microwave.

* * *

Usagi sat up in the bed, allowing Chibi-Usa to breast-feed. It had only been a couple of days, but she seemed to finally have the hang of the whole process. After her daughter finished, Usagi gently laid her down into the crib beside the bed, then moved to grab a book out of her bag that she had been reading.

Usagi had picked up the romance novel months ago during one of her runs to the pharmacy. It was a traditional romance set in the feudal era. Often enough she found herself fantasizing what it would have been like to live back in that time. That time period seemed so simplistic, compared to what she was going through now.

She sighed. It felt good to be of use again. Of course Usagi had to keep her movements simple because she was still feeling some soreness from where she had given birth, but it was coming easier for her to cook and take care of her daughter. Soon she would have some big choices to make.

Supporting her daughter would be first and foremost.

During her time on the run, Usagi tried a variety of jobs before she ended up staying at Mrs. Chen's. Though she loved taking care of Keiko, in her heart of hearts she missed singing. Usagi hadn't even thought of it since Toya died. The pain she had felt made her want to hide, but now things were different. She had other considerations, and for once, she dared to hope that her life could get back to a semblance of normalcy.

It was thanks to Mamoru, for the most part. Usagi smiled as she visualized his caring smile and deep blue eyes...she trusted him, felt like she could tell him anything.

Turning her attention back to her book, Usagi barely got through a page before her daughter started moaning. She knew it was only a matter of moments before Chibi-Usa would be crying.

Putting her book away, she sat up and grabbed for her daughter.

"Having trouble sleeping? I know the feeling Chibi-Usa, trust me."

Holding her daughter close, Usagi rocked her gently, but instead of calming her, Chibi-usa began to wail.

"Oh no...how am I going to calm you down, little one?"

She sat down, cradling her child close. "I have an idea. How about I sing you a lullaby my mother used to sing to me? It always made me feel good."

Remembering the words, Usagi began to sing:

Go to sleep baby mine,  
and your dreams will come true.

May the moonlight protect you,  
and always know that I love you.

* * *

Mamoru had finished his meal and was reading one of his medical textbooks when he heard the most beautiful singing. Curiousity got the best of him, so he quickly followed the sound to his bedroom. He found the door closed. when he opened it, he spotted Usagi, cradling her daughter and singing in the most beautiful voice he had ever heard.

He continued to watch as Usagi quietly laid Chibi-Usa into the crib, and made a move towards the door when she spotted him.

"Mamoru-san-"

His cover blown, Mamoru opened the door wide, allowing Usagi to exit the room. "I am sorry for intrusion. I just- your singing- it's beautiful. I said that I wanted to hear you sing, and I didn't know that I would be granted that wish so quickly."

She blushed. "Thank you. It felt good to sing again. Did you get the food I left you?"

Mamoru grinned, patting his stomach. "I sure did, and it was quite delicious, thank you."

Usagi smiled, and headed towards the kitchen. "I'm glad. Let me clean up those dishes for you and-"

"No need," he replied quickly, "I took care of things. After all, it was the least I could do for you preparing such a wonderful meal."

Mamoru noticed her smile falter slightly. Taking a seat on the sofa, he beckoned to Usagi to take a seat beside him. When she sat down, he reached for her hand.

"Usagi-chan, are you still worried about tomorrow?"

Usagi looked at him, and stuttered "Yes- no- I don't know. I don't know if I am ready, and yet, I want to sing again. It is...overwhelming and scary to me."

"Oh I don't know, personally I think it takes a strong person to stand up on stage and bear their soul through their voice and music. I would be scared stiff," Mamoru honestly replied.

Her laughter sounded like the lightest crystal. "You, scared? I can't believe that."

"Believe it. Bearing my soul is not the easiest thing to do. In fact, except for Karuka-san,  
no one else knows about my family situation, and yet I told it to you tonight as if I have known you forever."

Usagi blushed. "Well, I think it takes courage to do what you did for me. You could have very well went on your way and left me alone, and I could have had the baby on the street."

On an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. Pulling away, she smiled. "You are my hero, Mamoru-san, don't forget that."

She stood. "I want to get a decent nights sleep before we go see Bobby-san tomorrow. Good night."

Mamoru stared after her as she went back into the bedroom, unsure of how to take in what just happened.

"Good night, Usagi-chan. Sleep well"

* * *

The next morning Usagi dressed promptly in a pink blouse and green skirt, and tied her hair back into a loose ponytail. She hadn't cut her golden blond hair in about six months, so it was already growing well down her back.

Going out into the living room, she noticed Mamoru already dressed and folding the sofa bed back into place. After he finished, he stood, and took an appreciative look at her.

"You look beautiful today, Usagi-chan."

Noticing her blush at the comment, he laughed. "I never knew it was that easy to make a lady blush."

The doorbell rang, Usagi turned to go to the front door. "Heh, saved by the bell. That's probably Mrs. Chen with Keiko. I'll get it."

Usagi opened the door, but found no one there. Looking down, she noticed a small basket with a bundle of flowers. When she looked closer though, her blood turned cold, and she backed away shrieking.

Mamoru appeared behind her. "What is it Usagi-chan, what's wrong?"

Taking a look over her shoulder, he saw the object of her fear.

In the small basket, a bunch of withered roses were gathered and tied together with a black ribbon.  
On the front of the bundle sat a photo of her holding Chibi-Usa and walking out of the hospital closely with Mamoru.

There was a large red x through the photo, along with some hastily scrawled words in red ink:

I HAVE FOUND YOU AGAIN.

* * *

_I had planned on Usagi meeting up with her manager in this chapter, but real life and the best laid plans go awry. Hopefully things will smooth out soon._

_Until then, I remain faithfully-_

_Time Guardian_


	7. Memory Lane

_Jobs come, jobs go- I got a job, but not the one I wanted. I'm trying to keep my chin up, cause the hours are weird and long, but I finally had some free time to get the next chapter of this out._

_Disclaimer: Sailor Moon- like it, but not mine. I'm also taking artistic license with the city layout. Hopefully I made it believable- if not all virtual rotten veggies can be directed to tmegrdian at yahoo dot com._

_Now with that out of the way..._

When we last left Usagi and Mamoru-

* * *

In the small basket, a bunch of withered roses were gathered and tied together with a black ribbon.  
On the front of the bundle sat a photo of her holding Chibi-Usa and walking out of the hospital closely with Mamoru. 

There was a large red x through the photo, along with some hastily scrawled words in red ink:

I HAVE FOUND YOU AGAIN.

* * *

_**Chance Encounter**_  
_An alternate reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian_

_Chapter 7_- Memory Lane

_One hour later_-

Sergeant Makoto Kinoto of the police sat perched against a nearby table and regarded the two huddled figures on the sofa with some distaste. She had heard of the case of the movie star's death nearly a year ago, and was willing to bet a year's salary that Usagi had either sabotaged the boat or had someone do it for her.

Mamoru Chiba watched as the officer flipped quickly through the notes she had taken from their conversation before unleashing her first question.

"You mean to tell me that you found these flowers on the doorstep and you have no idea who left them there?"

Mamoru's reply came out harsher than he had intended, but he was fed up.

"Maybe one of her deranged fans? Look, I don't understand why you are detaining us. We haven't done anything wrong and I have one very terrified lady here who wants to see this situation finished as much as you all do. She has a daughter that she doesn't want to put into danger."

He watched as the officer gave a small smirk and looked at Usagi pointedly.

"Ah, finally had Toya's love child eh? What a legacy, already shacking up with your next conquest."

Mamoru was ready to assault the arrogant officer, but he noticed a furious Usagi standing up.  
Her voiced shook with barely-contained rage. "Look, detective, we have things to do and people to see, so unless you want to charge me, I suggest you leave-NOW."

Sergeant Makoto stood, and walked towards the door. She had gotten the reaction she was looking for. "This isn't over. Good day."

She opened the door, grabbed for the plastic wrapped basket of flowers on the table, and left,  
quickly closing the door behind her.

* * *

Usagi's frustration was at a boiling point. Turning, she pointed a finger at Mamoru. 

"You see, Mamoru-san? They think I did it! I told you it would turn out this way!"

Mamoru could feel her anger and frustration boiling over. If he hadn't seen the reaction of the police detective, he would have been ready to dismiss Usagi's ranting as being on the run for too long.

Mamoru did his best to calm her down. "Relax. If they really thought they had enough on you to convict you, they would have went ahead and arrested you. We can use that to our advantage. If we go back to the record company you were with, I am sure we can get some leads. Meanwhile you have to avoid playing into their hands, and that little outburst probably sealed the deal. You have to be careful."

As Mamoru stroked her hand gently, he heard the doorbell ring. "That is probably Mrs. Chen. You better see to the door."

Usagi nodded. Getting up, she went and opened the door. She smiled at seeing the friendly faces of Mrs. Chen and her daughter Keiko. "Thank you for coming. I owe you big time."

"Now don't worry about a thing, Usagi-chan," Mrs. Chen protested, "This is the least I can do for you helping me all those months. Now, why don't you take Keiko in to see your baby? I want to speak with Mamoru-san for a moment."

Nodding, Usagi took the little girl's hand and led her off to the bedroom.

Mrs. Chen smiled as the girls left the room, but when she turned back to Mamoru, her face was set in stone. "The media are having a field day with this, you know that don't you?"

Mamoru stood. "Truthfully, it has been a little busy around here to watch television, but we did have a bit of a situation earlier."

He told her then about the flowers that were left at the front door.

"You don't have much time then," Mrs. Chen frowned. "It sounds like this stalker could be out to harm her."

"I will watch out for her," Mamoru promised, "In the meanwhile, I need to take her to visit her old agent and record company. We will be back as soon as we can. I can pay you-"

"Nonsense," Mrs. Chen stated, "I was available, and Usagi-chan has done me quite a good turn. I just worry that you two are in over your heads with this."

Mamoru shook his head as Usagi came back into the room with Keiko in tow. "Everything will be all right. No one should be visiting me anytime today, so only answer the door for me, okay?"

The older woman nodded as she scooped up her daughter into her arms. "Well Keiko, we are going to babysitting Usagi-chan's daughter for a few hours."

Keiko turned her head and smiled at Usagi. "I will take care of your baby, like you took care of me."

Usagi smiled at the young girl. "Thank you, Keiko, I know you will do a good job."

Twenty minutes later, Mamoru parked his motorbike near the business district and helped Usagi off onto the pavement.

Removing her helmet, Usagi giggled. "Well, I can say that I have ridden on a motorbike now."

Mamoru smiled as he set their helmets on the bike seat. "Another thing you haven't done? You surprise me Usagi-chan, I figured with having the life of an idol, you would have chances to do some extraordinary things."

Usagi shook her head. "Trust me, they wanted me safe so that performances could go off without a hitch. They pampered me so badly that if going to the bathroom meant going down the stairs,  
my manager would get someone to carry me down them. Now if memory serves...ah yes, it's this way."

Usagi turned down one of the cross streets as Mamoru easily matched her stride.

"You doing ok, Usagi-chan? I know this is the first real trip you have taken outside since Chibi-Usa was born."

"Why do you think I am going slow?" Usagi replied lightly. "So far, so good. I have been taking the vitamin and mineral supplements like the doctor wanted, and they have been working."

Usagi grew silent as she continued down the street. They passed a few investment firms, which then gave way to some colorful shops and eateries.

Mamoru watched as Usagi's countenance brightened. "Ah, here it is."

The building in question was odd in design where the buildings that surrounded it were traditional in style, this one was distinctly modern. It was located at the street corner, and was completely surrounded in glass, despite only being a two story building. On the top of the building, an oversized metal mockup of a stereotypical superhero with a long cape stood proud and tall. In it's huge hands it held a sign proclaiming "Titan Records" in at least four different languages.

Mamoru was surprised. "Your agent has an office here too?"

Usagi nodded as she directed him to the main entrance. "Titan records leases a few offices on the first floor. Last time I visited here, there were two other talent agents and a private detective that inhabited the first floor."

Walking through the main entrance with Usagi, Mamoru was struck speechless at the opulence of the place. Most of the surfaces were covered in what looked like marble. The floors covered in a plush beige carpet and the walls were covered in various works of art that looked very old and very expensive.

There was an elevator and set of stairs, but Usagi led him to the end of a long hallway just to the right of the stairs. At the end, they stopped in front of a large wooden door which bore the name "Bob Sanderson, Talent Agent."

He noticed her heave a sigh. "Here goes."

She raised her arm and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, Mamoru heard a low baritone voice from the other side of the door. "Come in."

Usagi slowly opened the door, and proceeded inside.

The office was small, but well furnished. Soft carpet in a muted tan led the way to a desk a few feet in front of them.

Behind the mahogany desk, an astonished older man sat there staring at the two of them.

* * *

Memories assaulted Usagi's senses. Not much had changed since she went into hiding. Bob's office was pretty much the same since she had been here last. A half circle of four chairs faced his mahogany desk, and the walls were adorned with pictures from all over the world. 

Bob Sanderson, the old man that had been with her at the start of her career, stood and had an astonished look on his face. He stood a head taller than her.

His voice wavered slightly. "As I live and breathe- is that you Usagi-chan?"

His voice had that accent that she would never forget. Bob had once told her that he comes from the United States, from a big state called Texas, and he declared that was one thing he would end up keeping from there. He stood and quickly rounded the desk. She noticed that he had put on weight,  
and his normal dark brown hair was starting to show streaks of gray.

This man had been like a second father to her throughout her singing career, and was definitely the one person she missed most of all.

"Bobby-san."

On impulse, she reached over and gave Bob a hug.

Bob gave a hearty laugh, and broke away from her. "It is good to see you, my dear. It is also good to see you safe." His face sobered. "When you sent me that last letter a few months ago, I thought I would never see you again. What are you doing here?"

Usagi gulped. It was now or never. Mamoru's presence behind her helped to calm her down, but she still felt nervous.

"I- I- um would like to sign back with Titan records and sing again."

Bob looked at her with a sad gaze. "I wish it was that easy, Usagi-chan. When you disappeared, Akuma-san went looking for the next big thing and is now hyping Aino Minako."

The name sounded familiar, but it took a few moments to sink in. "My backup singer?"

A surge of frustration went through her. This couldn't be-she was so close.

Bob looked at her in concern before he reluctantly nodded. "When the biggest moneymaker flees with little regard of the company, they are going to look for a replacement. However, if you are serious about this, Akuma-san and Sachi-san are coming down to this office in a few minutes to talk over details of a debut tour with Minako. I don't think it would be too hard of a sell, after all, you were the first Titan artist to top the charts for three solid months. However, that's the president's call to make."

Usagi nodded. "We will stick around then."

Smiling, Bob motioned them to two of the four chairs in front of him. "By all means, sit. It should only take a few minutes."

Usagi took a seat, and nervously began to wait, until she remembered the second reason for their visit.

"Bobby-san...I know it has been a while, but the letters the stalker sent me- do you still have them?"

The older man shook his head. "No, I'm afraid Akuma-san ordered me to destroy those letters after you disappeared."

What hope she had sunk within her. Those letters showed the sadistic, persistent nature of the monster that hounded her. How was she going to prove her innocence now?

She was jolted from her thoughts by Bob's office door opening.

As Usagi stood, two men came into the room. They looked to be older businessmen with the thinning grey hair that comes from a long life. Usagi recognized Shinjiro Akuma, the Titan record president. The man beside him was an exact mirror image save for a small pair of glasses he wore. It took her a moment, but she realized that it was her former manager and Akuma's brother, Sachi. Funny, she couldn't remember his name when she told Mamoru of the key employees. Usagi never really felt close to him, despite him running her tour.

If they were surprised, neither man showed it.

An uneasy silence passed over the room until Bob spoke up. "Akuma-san, our Usagi-chan came back to us."

Sachi's face curved into a smile, and his voice was light. "Aria Aure. Our gentle, sweet wind is back."

Akuma's face remained expressionless. "She broke the terms of our contract."

"With due respect, sir," Usagi's voice wavered, "I felt that my life was at risk, and that's something I was not going to put my child through, no matter how much security you have."

"Still," Akuma pointed out, "you left us high and dry. We lost money due to your disappearance. We were even willing to help you with your legal troubles concerning Toya, but you chose to fled."

Usagi bowed. "I am sorry, but I stand by my reasons. Family is important to me, and I did what I felt was right in protecting my child. With your permission though, I can prove that I can still be valuable to your organization. I am sure that people would still come to see the great 'Aria Aure' perform."

"But the stalker- the police," Sachi protested, "there are still some unresolved issues and-"

"I am taking precautions," she replied simply. "Everything will resolve itself soon I can assure you."

This was turning into a hard sell. Usagi wasn't sure where that last comment had came from, but she had come too far to turn back now.

She waited with baited breath as she watched Sachi turn to Akuma and have a quiet conversation for many moments. Finally, the brothers turned to face her.

Sachi began. "You were one of our brightest stars before you fled. You have to understand that we had to move on. However your talent at one point was rated second to none."

Akuma stepped forward. "That is why I am willing to allow a double billing concert. Two weeks from now we will have a special opening concert at the park. I am willing to allow you to share billing with Minako on the basis that you have two songs at the ready to sing. I will grant you access to the songwriter and the studio band to help. If we get a good audience reaction, we will sign you back to Titan records."

Usagi bowed in quiet elation. She was being given a second chance. "Thank you sir. I will be in touch to make arrangements."

Akuma's face hardened. "Do not disappoint me. I do not give out second chances lightly."

Nodding, Usagi motioned to Mamoru. The made their goodbyes and they both left the office quickly.

Once they closed the office door, Usagi squealed. "I did it! Thank you Mamoru-san for all of your help"

* * *

As Mamoru led Usagi back to the main entrance, he thought abut the characters he met. 

"Usagi-chan, are you sure it was wise to tell them you were taking precautions? You might have just tipped off the stalker that you were hunting for him or her."

"Nonsense," Usagi protested, "I have to admit that I had reservations at first, but you saw their reaction- they want me back."

Mamoru held the main door open for her as they both stepped outside into the late afternoon heat.

Usagi continued with her jubilant mood. "All I need now are two songs to wow the crowd and-"

He looked at her, curious to see why she had stopped talking, and noticed her staring down the street.

Mamoru followed her gaze and spotted two figures. He immediately recognized from the time in the hospital as being in the throng of reporters that busted into Usagi's hospital room.

"How did they find us? There weren't any reporters when we left my place," Mamoru muttered.

Usagi frowned. Her mind whirred with all of what she encountered at Titan records. "I don't care, but at this point I'm really not in the mood to talk to them."

Mamoru spotted an arcade across the street from where they were. "We may be able to lose them in there."

Keeping himself hunched over, he quickly prodded Usagi across the street and into the arcade.

For the time of day, the arcade had quite a few visitors. A small cluster of business men were watching one of their own trying to break the record on the latest fighting game. A couple of college students sat near the entrance, chatting away, and in the corner a couple gazed longingly into each other's eyes.

Mamoru herded Usagi over to a small bench near one of the games and sat her down. "We can wait in here while those reporters are looking for us. I don't think they saw us."

"Thank you, Mamoru-san. I don't think I would have been able to keep my temper if they came after me."

Mamoru decided it was time to broach the subject. "You need to be careful. There's no telling, but one or more of those people that you worked with may be the ones stalking you."

Usagi shook her head in denial. "I can't- I don't know what to believe. most of those people were my friends and-"

Her voice broke off, as she spotted the reporters they were trying to avoid. They had entered the doorway of the arcade, and were looking around. Usagi was pretty sure that they hadn't spotted them yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Usagi dropped her voice to a panicked whisper. "Mamoru-san, they've come in, and they'll find us in a second. What are we going to do? I just want to go back to your place, see Chibi-Usa and-"

Mamoru cut her off. "I have an idea." Quickly, he grabbed her, turned her bodily away from the entrance to the arcade, and brought his lips down hard on hers.

* * *

_I know, I know. Evil to leave off there. More will be coming, I promise! Oh by the way, you've met the stalker somewhere in this chapter-so let the speculation begin.  
-ducks as objects are thrown-_

Till Later,  
Time Guardian


	8. Feelings Revealed

_**Chance Encounter  
**_an Alternate Reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian 

_Chapter 8 _- Feelings Revealed

Shock flooded Usagi's senses as the man who had pledged his help to her leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips.

_What is he doing?Is he crazy?_

She moved to break away from him when he grabbed her shoulders and turned to whisper hotly in her ear. "Play along. They wont be able to see us if we stick close."

Usagi felt a slow burn creeping over her face. Sticking close was one thing, but the heat of his body was evoking feelings she had not felt since-

"Hey! You two!"

Turning, they looked up to find a very angry arcade attendant staring down at the two of them.

"I don't run this arcade for people like you to make out in. Get out!"

Looking around, Mamoru saw that the two reporters that were in the doorway of the arcade earlier were now walking out and down the street.

Smiling, he got to his feet and helped Usagi stand up. "Sorry. We will leave now."

* * *

Mamoru pulled Usagi behind him until they were just outside the shop. His plan had worked like he thought it would, and he kept Usagi safe.

He stopped for a moment, leaning heavily against the building to catch his breath, and to tamp down the dizzying feeling he had.

Keeping his feelings in check had been increasingly difficult over the days, and when he had kissed her, it had opened a literal Pandora's box of possibilities. However, he was sure that this wasn't the type of situation to take advantage of.

Mamoru told himself that he did it help Usagi, nothing more.

Trying to quiet the dissenting voice in his head, Mamoru did his best to reassure her. "Well Usagi-chan, we gave those reporters the slip at least."

Only when he turned to look at her did Mamoru notice that Usagi's face burned a bright crimson.

"Are you all right, Usagi-chan?"

* * *

Words failed her. Her brain was finally getting back on an even keel, but it was still hard to contain her shock.

"You...kissed me."

Usagi noticed a slight look of surprise on Mamoru's face before he replied. "I saw a sign posted on the door-the owner apparently doesn't appreciate public displays of affection, so I figured to draw them off meant drawing attention to ourselves and-"

The rest of his words were lost in a rush of her thoughts. He didn't mean it. It was just a distraction.

Part of her was relieved, but still-

His worried voice cut into her thoughts. "Usagi-chan, you are looking pale, let's get you back to my place."

Shaking off her thoughts, she looked up into his worried glance.

"Y-yes, I think that would be best."

As Usagi let Mamoru lead her back to his bike, she was surprised to find a wave of disappointment flood through her.

It was silly, it was just a kiss - or was it?

* * *

When they arrived back at the apartment, Usagi sent Mrs. Chen home, then holed herself up in the bedroom with Chibi-Usa. She had told him that she was going to start writing right away, so for the next few days, Mamoru didn't see much of Usagi at all. Even at breakfast when they ate together Usagi seemed to be off in her own world with pencil and paper in hand. 

So it was with some surprise that Mamoru came home from classes one evening to find his living room awash in a sea of crumpled paper, and Usagi-chan laid sound asleep on the sofa, her golden blond hair mussled around her head like a golden halo. In the playpen beside the sofa, Chibi-Usa was also sound asleep, her tiny fists bunched tightly towards her angelic face.

_Two perfect angels_, Mamoru amended to himself.

Putting his stuff down, he walked over to the sofa and gently shook Usagi on the shoulder.

Mumbling, she opened her eyes. "Oh, Mamoru-san!" She scrambled into a sitting position and looked around wildly. "I am so sorry, I was hoping to have time to clear out this mess before you came home and all.  
Chibi-Usa wouldn't sleep though, and I had to keep her occupied and-"

Mamoru raised a hand. "Never mind that, I will be more than willing to help."

He leaned down and started picking up the crumpled paper, until Usagi slapped his hand away. "I'd rather you didn't."

Mamoru backed off in surprise. "I just wanted to help you clean it up, Usagi-chan, I wasn't going to read them or anything."

Usagi gave him a wary look. "When I am writing a song, I don't want anyone to see my work."

Mamoru looked around the room before he replied. "By the looks of things it looks like you need help. Why don't you call the songwriter that they told you about?"

"Because this is something that I need to do by myself," she replied stiffly. Leaning down, she began picking up the crumpled paper around her.

Mamoru sighed in resignation. "You can't take on the world alone, Usagi-chan."

She stood up straight and regarded him with a cold stare. "Who says I am? This is just the way I work is all. I have been writing my own lyrics now for the past three years. I'm just having a little trouble with my muse right now"

* * *

Of course Usagi wasn't going to admit it, but he was the cause of her rebellious muse. For days, she had tried writing a simple love song, but when she tried conjuring up Toya's image as inspiration, Mamoru's face kept coming to mind.

Ah yes, she was in too deep. Her priority was supposed to be to get back on her feet and face her fears, not to fall in love with Mamoru.

"It sounds like you need to go with your strongest feelings," Mamoru commented with a smile, "When you sang to Chibi-Usa to sleep the other night, I could feel love and emotion from your words."

That did it. "Is that what you did when you kissed me, you went with your strongest feelings?"

The words tumbled out as a retort and it was too late to take them back.

She was rewarded for her efforts by a look of surprise and then an amused smile on Mamoru's face. "You mean when I kissed you like this?"

Before Usagi could react, Mamoru leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips.

* * *

Mamoru had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen.

He lingered for a few sweet moments before finally pulling away from her.

"Does that answer your question, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi's face turned as red as it was when they were outside the arcade that day.

"Mamoru-san, I-"

The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted her.

Mamoru sighed. Of all the timing- "Hold that thought."

He turned and grabbed for the cordless phone on a nearby sidetable.

He pressed the 'talk' button on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was deep and scratchy, making it completely unrecognizable to him.

"He who kisses the great Aria Aure doesn't deserve to live."

Mamoru's senses were on high alert. Was someone watching them? "Who is this?"

The voice was positively gloating. "Her one and only betrothed. Don't get in my way or you will die like Toya. He didn't get in my way and neither will you."

Mamoru's blood chilled as he heard an audible click on the other end.

* * *

_More to come soon._

_Until next time,  
Time Guardian_


	9. Baby Steps to Love

_**Chance Encounter**_  
an Alternate Reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian

_Chapter 9_ - Baby steps to Love

The room seemed unnaturally silent as Mamoru put the phone back on the table, which only served to unsettle him.

The look Usagi was giving him only served to unsettle him more.

She finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was the stalker, wasn't it?"

For a moment Mamoru thought to protect her, but his face must have betrayed something to her for Usagi lunged forward, grabbing him by the wrist. "Don't lie to me. What did he say?"

He sighed. "He said that he wanted me to stay away from you, that what happened to Toya could happen to me."

Usagi's eyes started to brim over with tears. "The police told me that the boat was sabotaged, but I didn't believe- no, I didn't WANT to believe them. Now my stalker is threatening you."

She released her hold on him and backed away. "I put you in danger."

Enough was enough.

Mamoru grabbed her wrist and held on tight. He kept his voice low and even. "How many times do I have to tell you? I am not going anywhere, and I have been committed to you from the beginning. I know you are scared- hell, that call did nothing good for me either, but I care too much about you to see you tackle this all by yourself. This person- whoever he or she is- is sick, and would do anything to make sure you are theirs-forever."

Silence followed his words and Mamoru felt her arm tremble under his grasp.

* * *

If he wanted to scare her, he was doing a good job.

Before the phone call Usagi was warring with her feelings for him. Now, she was having trouble wrapping her mind around the idea that Toya was killed by her stalker.

And now, Mamoru was the stalker's next target.

It was too much. "I- I-"

Her last defenses around her heart crumbled, and with a sob, she freed her wrist from his grasp and threw her arms around his neck.

All the stress from months of hiding, the loss of Toya, her feelings for Mamoru- they all fell away as she leaned heavily into him, her sobs muffled against his shirt.

Usagi felt his long arms wrap around her, pressing her close.

His voice was low and reassuring. "It'll be ok, I promise. This stalker will not get the better of me, and I will not let this creep get to you"

* * *

Mamoru felt her body tremble with sobs, and it tore at his heart. He held Usagi close, lightly stroking her back for what seemed like an eternity before she finally stilled under his touch.

Releasing his hold on her, he looked down into her blue eyes. "You look tired."

Usagi nodded slowly. "I knocked out all of my chores before my writing session, so yes. I feel like I could sleep a week, and I still didn't finish a song yet."

She looked over at Chibi-Usa sleeping in the playpen. "At least I was able to feed and change her before I started my writing session."

"Well then, since daughter is taken care of, it is time to take care of mother," Mamoru said with a smile. Leaning down, he gathered Usagi into his arms.

Usagi squealed in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to bed. You need a good night's sleep if you want to write the two songs that you need."

Mamoru took her into the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed. Grabbing a blanket from the foot of the bed, he gently draped it over her.

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well. Everything else can wait. We will talk in the morning."

"But what about chibi-Usa? I need her in here with me and-"

Mamoru smiled. "Chibi-Usa will be my responsibility tonight, and no buts. Now, good night and sweet dreams."

To settle the matter, he walked out of the bedroom and closed the door.

Once Mamoru walked back to the living room, he started to pull out the sofa bed when he heard a whimper come from the playpen. He went over to check on Chibi-Usa, and found that she was in a sitting position, and from the look in her tiny eyes, she was not happy.

A brief touch of panic settled in. How in the heck was he supposed to calm her down this time of night?

He quietly walked to the playpen, picked up the whimpering Chibi-Usa and gathered her into his arms.

He spoke quietly to Chibi-Usa. "Shhh, little one. I promised your mother that I would take care of you tonight. You remember me, right? I was the one who helped you come into the world."

Apparently this did nothing to quiet her. In fact, her whimpering grew louder.

Since he hadn't pulled the sofa bed out, he went ahead and took Chibi-Usa over to the sofa and sat across the length of the sofa with her cradled in his arms.

Mamoru chuckled. "So you hold a grudge then? Heh, I'll let you in on a secret, Chibi-Usa. That wont be the last time you will feel hurt. You'll learn and grow into Womanhood, fall in love, maybe get your heart broken a time or two, and then fall in love again."

This declaration seemed to mystify Chibi-Usa. She quieted her whimpering, and stared at him almost in question.

Mamoru shook his head. "Don't look at me like that young lady, I'll confess- I am in love with your mother. She has such a strong creative soul, and she is so warm and caring. She fills my heart with happiness- you know, like when you get your favorite bedtime story?"

Chibi-Usa smiled and cooed.

Mamoru shook his head quickly in disbelief. "Heh, for a moment there, I thought that you just agreed with me. I don't even know why I am telling you this. My heart is full whenever I am around her, and for the first time in a long time since my parents died, my heart feels complete. So what do you think, am I the right one for your mother?"

When he looked down this time, Mamoru found that Chibi-Usa had closed her eyes and had fallen asleep in his arms.

"Well, so much for that."

* * *

It was morning when Usagi woke up, feeling unusually refreshed. Chibi-Usa hadn't woken her up at all that night, and-

she had just remembered that Mamoru promised to take care of Chibi-Usa last night and- he kissed her- again.

She sighed. Life was getting complicated. Usagi was sure that he had feelings for her, and though part of her heart still grieved for Toya, she was falling in love with Mamoru.

Slipping out of bed, Usagi realized that she still had her clothes on that she had worn yesterday, and decided to stick with them.

Quietly opening the bedroom door, she walked into the living room, half expecting almost any scenario-  
except for the one before her.

Mamoru sat on the sofa lengthwise, sound asleep. Chibi-Usa lay in his arms, eyes closed and also sound asleep.

Usagi's heart melted at the sight. Silently as she could, she walked over to the sofa, carefully scooped Chibi-Usa up in her embrace, and headed towards the kitchen. Chibi-Usa's sleepy eyes opened and she gave her mother a quizzical smile.

Usagi smiled down at her in reply. "Let's let Mamo-chan sleep for a little while longer, Chibi-Usa. I have some tasty breast milk for you in the fridge."

She stopped for a moment as she realized what she had called Mamoru. "Um, let's let that one be between the two of us for now, ok Chibi-usa?"

Usagi went to open the fridge, when she heard a distinctly amused male voice behind her.

"Your secret is safe with me, Usako."

Turning around in surprise, she saw Mamoru leaning against the kitchen wall with the biggest smile on his face.

* * *

_Thanks guys, I appreciate the reviews I have received. I took a little risk with this chapter, since romantic emotional moments aren't my main forte, so what do you think? Too sappy, or just the right amount of warm fuzziness?_

Till next time,

Time Guardian


	10. Concert Preperations

_**Chance Encounter**_  
An Alternate Reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian 

_**Chapter 10**_ - _Concert Preperations_

Mamoru smiled at her in amusement after hearing her.

_-So two could play at this game, huh? We shall see about that.-_

He called out to her. "Your secret is safe with me, Usako."

Caught on the hop, Usagi turned and stared at him.

_-Did he hear me? And did I hear him right?-_

"Heh, I didn't hear you come up behind me," She scolded. "I thought you were asleep."

He yawned, but was soon smiling again. Mamoru wasn't about to allow her to get off of  
the hook this easily. "Chibi-Usa and I were sound asleep, till you had to butt in. So, back to this  
'Mamo-chan' business-"

Usagi's face was flushed a bright crimson, but she decided that couldn't hold back anymore. Her words came out in a nervous rush.

"Ok I admit it, Iaminlovewithyou, is that what you wanted to hear?"

He laughed. "You know, you are beautiful when you are embarrassed. I guess we need to talk then, but the little one needs her breakfast first. Let me hold Chibi-Usa while you get her milk."

She carefully handed the baby to him, and then went to the fridge.

* * *

Breakfast passed quietly. Usagi fed Chibi-Usa, and Mamoru was able to fix a quick breakfast for the two of them. 

Later, Usagi went and put her daughter down for a nap, then changed into a black skirt and a light green short-sleeved blouse. It was due to be warm outside today, and she had a lot of work to do if she wanted two songs for her performance, including stopping by Titan Records.

She came back through to the living room and found Mamoru sitting on the sofa putting his textbooks in a duffel bag.

_-Ok, time to find out-_

With a quick sigh, she went over to the sofa and sat beside him.

"Ok, Chibi-Usa is taking her morning nap. Now can we talk?"

Mamoru looked at her. "I suppose you want the truth from me now as well?"

Her temper flared. "Well, I wasn't looking for the baseball scores."

Mamoru put his hands up in mock surrender. "Ok, Ok." He stopped what he was doing, and grabbed for her hands.

"You came into my life in an unexpected encounter. You needed all of the help you could get, and I couldn't leave a beautiful woman like you high and dry."

Mamoru looked into her blue eyes, and saw the beginnings of tears. "Now don't get all mushy on me before I finish. You have filled my life in ways that I cannot measure, but I kept my distance. You had just given birth to Chibi-usa, and memories of your fiancee were ripe in your mind. Hell, I can tell that they still are."

Mamoru took one of his hands and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Thing is, now that you have come into my life, I can't see a day without you. I love you,  
Usako. In fact, Chibi-Usa and I had a long talk about that last night."

Usagi arched an eyebrow and smiled. "So I wasn't the only one confessing their thoughts to Chibi-Usa. I take it she gave you thumbs up."

"Actually," he confessed with a grin, "she fell asleep before she could answer me."

"That will never do," she replied coyly. "Hmm, how about if I answer you?"

Leaning forward, Usagi brought her lips to his.

It was pure magic- there were no better words to describe the pleasure of the moment. For precious seconds she lost herself in the heat of their kiss, and after a few moments she reluctantly pulled back.

"Toya will always be my first love. I have good memories of him. But now, I have you.  
You believed in me, stood by me, and now you have captured my heart, Mamo-chan." She watched as his face took on a serious tone. "You have a hold on my heart as well, Usako. The only thing I worry about is how to keep you safe from this stalker."

A flash of irritation crept through her. The mood was broken. "The stalker hasn't even shown up in the past few days. What is there to worry about? Maybe he has given up."

Mamoru stood up, and grabbed for his bag. "Considering that your concert is tomorrow, I find that highly unlikely. Just be careful, ok? And don't go out alone."

Usagi gave him a mock salute. "Yes sir."

Mamoru put a hand on her shoulder. "I mean it. I don't want to lose you. Promise me that you will be careful?"

She looked into his eyes and saw the worry in them. "I promise, Mamo-chan. Now you better get going- you don't want to be late for class."

He smiled, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and headed out the front door.

After he left, Usagi grabbed for the phone on the table. If she was going to get everything done that she needed to do before the concert, she was going to have to have help.

* * *

Rei Hino stood outside the massive apartment complex and looked at the slip of paper again.  
Yes, she had written the address down correctly, but wow.

It had been a year since she had talked to Usagi, and she was curious as to how she had made out in the last few months. Rei had been the last songwriter that Usagi had worked with, and despite Usagi's perfectionist style, they had worked together surprisingly well.

Rei was ready to step inside, when Usagi came out of the main entrance.

"Usagi-chan!"

Rei waved, and caught Usagi's attention.

"Rei-chan, it is so good to see you," Usagi said with a smile as she walked over.

"It has been too long," retorted Rei. She gave Usagi a hug and then stepped back.

"So I hear you have a baby daughter now, where is she?"

Usagi pushed back a strand of hair that blew into her face. "My former employer, Mrs. Chen, had the day off from work today, so she came to pick her up. If it weren't for her, I doubt that I would be able to do any of this."

Rei checked her watch. "Speaking of which, Minako-chan will also be joining our songwriting meeting as well, so we better get going."

She guided Usagi a few feet down the street until they came across a long white limo parked on the side. "You took the company limo to pick me up?" Usagi asked suspiciously.

Rei turned to her with a gleam in her eye. "Well now, can't have a comeback for you without a little glamour, right?"

* * *

By the middle of the day, Mamoru was tired and hungry and had a break in his classes, so he took his motorbike and rode over to Taka's restaurant.

Taka ushered him in and seated him at a small table near the front of the restaurant. "Mamoru-kun, you look beat, considering since the last time I saw you, you had a lady having a baby in my office."

Mamoru placed his helmet in a chair beside him, then leaned against the table, placing his head in his hands.

"My friend, I'm in deep."

Mamoru then proceeded to tell him about the events that transpired after Usagi had given birth to Chibi-Usa.

By the time he finished his story, Taka was shaking his head. "Man, I see what you mean. And to boot, you have fallen in love with the girl. Are you nuts? I read about these high powered relationships all the time and they don't usually end well."

Mamoru shook his head vehemently. "She's a wonderful woman, who happens to be a singer and has a baby daughter."

"And who happens to be under suspicion for her fiancé's death," Taka added.

"She's innocent," Mamoru growled, "I'd stake my life on it."

A new voice joined the fray. "As would I."

Mamoru looked around Taka and spotted Officer Kinoto walking towards them. The officer looked a bit different in civilian garb, dressed in grey slacks and a green blouse.

Mamoru groaned. "The last thing I need is you on my case, officer. But did I hear you right? You think Usagi is innocent?"

In response, Makoto gestured to the other chair at the table. "May I join you?"

* * *

Once they arrived at Titan records, Rei led Usagi through a familiar myriad of corridors until they reached a small meeting room just off of an adjoining recording booth and control room. Once they entered, Usagi spotted the familiar figure sitting at the table.

"M-Minako-chan?"

Minako Aino stood up, and embraced Usagi in a tight squeeze. Usagi noticed that she hadn't changed much since they toured together. She had grown slightly taller, but still wore her long hair tied back with a red ribbon. It was her good luck charm, as she called it.

Minako gestured to two other chairs. "It is good to see you, Usagi-chan. A lot changed when you left."

"I know," Usagi replied as she took a seat beside her. "You are a major star now."

"It still didn't feel the same," Minako retorted. "Everybody began acting differently. Akuma and Sachi even threatened to evict Bobby-san because he wouldn't back off of trying to find you to get you back."

Usagi was taken aback. It seemed too much to fathom- Akuma and Sachi both seemed to want her back when she visited with Mamoru that day.

A snap of Rei's fingers brought her back to attention. "Usagi-chan, unless you have forgotten, you need two songs for the concert. Minako-chan already has three songs and is finalizing them in a run-through with me today. You have a lot of catching up to do. Think you can do it?"

Usagi smiled. "Just get me some paper and a pen, and I will show you."

* * *

Mamoru invited Makoto to sit at his table, and the two ordered food from Taka, who quickly took his leave.

He leveled a hard gaze at the officer. "Okay, level with me. When we reported the dead flowers,  
you were ready to crucify Usagi. What's with the about-face?"

"Simply put, the proof that we thought we had was forged," the woman admitted, all the while twisting a fabric napkin absently in her lap.  
"Forged?" Mamoru echoed. "How?"

Makoto's reply was quick. "The threatening letters sent to her and the portions of threatening letters that were found in her apartment were analyzed again by a handwriting expert at my request. They are very clever forgeries, but forgeries all the same. The intent was to frame Tsukino Usagi."

He couldn't believe it. "It's been close to a YEAR. You mean to tell me the police hadn't thought to analyze the handwriting before now?"

"Of course they did," She protested hotly, "but think about it-a major movie star is dead, a pop idol survives, one that had been due to be his wife. All the money and notoriety...the paparazzi had a field day. Accusations swirled, demands for a quick and tough investigation-"

Mamoru finished her thought. "-and they wrapped it up quick and dirty due to the pressure. What made you think to reinvestigate this?"

He heard the anger and determination in her reply. "Chiba-san, I am one of a handful of women on a squad where old traditions rule. For me to move up in rank, they have saddled me with cases that they deemed too 'hot' to touch to see if they can scare me away. It's not going to work. Do what they want, but I will see this case through by the book."

Mamoru regarded her in a new light. The woman that had seemed so brash and rude in the beginning was turning out to be someone who was just doing her duty.

One thought remained on his mind though. "Why are you telling me this?"

Makoto sighed. "Partly to ease my own mind- I treated you two badly, and I wanted to apologize. The other thing is that I took this evidence to my superior. He won't allow any more resources on this case."

"That does us little good," Mamoru muttered. "She needs more help than just the two of us."

Taka brought over the food that the two had ordered, and then pulled up a chair.

"I heard you two talking about Usagi. I want to help."

Mamoru turned to his friend. "The help is appreciated. I just wish I knew more about the people of Titan records. Usagi told me that she couldn't see any of them wanting to threaten her, but something didn't seem right."

"We ran background checks when the initial investigation was made, but we found nothing," Makoto said.

"A couple of their sound techs come in for lunch now and then. I can chat them up and get a state of affairs"  
Taka declared.

"Sounds like a plan then," Mamoru stated. "I just wish we could do more."

"I'll keep you in the loop as well," Makoto promised. "For now though, all we can do is bide our time."

Taka stood up. "Well, let me get back to work, you two better eat up before your food gets cold."

As Taka left, Makoto gave Mamoru a concerned look. "Don't worry, we will get this guy."

Mamoru picked up his fork and idly twisted the pasta on his plate. "I hope so, for her sake."

* * *

Usagi was working hard on her writing before her, when a take-out bag was plopped down before her.

She looked up in surprise to see Rei standing above her looking sternly at her.

"It figures you would try and work through lunch, Usagi-chan."

Usagi looked down at her watch, and verified that she had indeed worked most of the morning away at her writing. "I didn't know the time had passed so fast. Where's Minako-chan?"

Rei took a seat beside her and opened the bag, taking out two cartons of spicy noodles.

"Minako's over in the recording studio recording the three songs for the concert for inclusion in the second album. She ate an early lunch."

Usagi sat up straight and grabbed for a noodle carton when Rei snatched the paper she had been writing on.

"Rei-chan!"

Rei quickly scanned the paper that Usagi had been using. "So, who is he? I can tell he has your heart.  
You haven't written anything nearly this good in a long time."

Usagi blushed furiously. "His name is Mamoru."

Rei smiled. "Mamoru, eh? He has been good for you, I can tell. You are actually smiling again. When you left, you looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"In a way, I still do. They never found the one who sent me those letters," Usagi mumured. "I have a daughter to protect now, there is more to consider now."

"Leave it to me," Rei promised. "Security has already been made tight for the concert, and I have already worked in coverage for you. We can even work in Mamoru and your daughter. We will keep you safe, I will see to it."

She smiled. "Thanks, Rei-chan."

"You are welcome. Now eat your lunch, before it gets cold. We will finalize what you have written afterwards."

An hour later after they finished their lunch, Rei took Usagi into the control room. Inside the recording booth, Minako was running through one of her songs. They took seats in the back corner as a lean faced technician sat in the main seat working the booth's controls.

Rei turned, and motioned for the pad of paper Usagi had brought with her. "Okay, let me see what you have written, Usagi, and we can put some music to it."

They began the work in earnest, and almost didn't notice the two important figures that had entered the control room, but the technician did.

He stood nervously, and bowed. "Akuma-san, Sachi-san."

Usagi looked up and realized that indeed the two brothers had put in an appearance in the control booth.

Rei quickly stood herself. "It is a pleasure to have you visit. Usagi and I were just finishing adding music to her words."

Sachi took off his glasses and rubbed tem briskly with a handkerchief from his pocket. Putting them back on his face, he smiled. "This is excellent news, isn't it, brother? Our Aria Aure is prepared as always."

Akuma's face betrayed no emotion, except for a small nod towards Usagi. "It would have been regrettable if you hadnot risen to my challenge. Are you ready to be back in the spotlight?"

Usagi gulped. She couldn't explain it, but the way they were acting was totally creeping her out. It was all she could do to nod in his direction.

"Excellent," Akuma intoned. Turning to his brother, he motioned towards the recording booth. "When Minako is finished with her set, makes sure she gets to wardrobe. Do the same for Usagi when she is finished with her preparations. Bob is getting the last of the flyers ready for the park, so we will see him in the morning."

Sachi nodded once. "Things will be ready. Go to your meetings brother, everything will work out just fine."

* * *

Mamoru had arrived back at his apartment as the sun was setting. He felt somewhat elated, because he had received passing marks on the exams that he had taken two weeks ago, but he had wanted to see HER more.

He let himself in, and dropped his book bag on the sofa. "Usagi? I am home."

No noise, not even a baby crying.

Mamoru was almost ready to panic, when he saw a hastily scribbled note left near the phone-

_Mamo-chan_

_Am at the studio with friends. I will be back soon, promise.  
Chibi-Usa is with Mrs. Chen for the night, so we will have the night to ourselves._

_See you soon._

_Usagi_

Mamoru smiled as realized that Usagi had enclosed her name with a heart.

A noise at the door roused him from thoughts. He looked up and spotted Usagi coming through the door.

"Welcome home, Usako, how was your day?"

In response, she closed the door and twirled around in circles. "I should be tired, but I am too tired to be. I finished both songs I needed, and my friend Rei added the music. Everything is a go."

"That is terrific," Mamoru replied. He stood, and grabbed Usagi, kissing her on the lips.

He pulled back with a laugh. "Now if you wouldn't mind sitting down. You were making me dizzy."

She complied, taking a seat at one corner of the sofa as Mamoru sat beside her.

"So you have finished your songs, eh?" he asked her. "Can I get a sneak preview perhaps?"

She shook her head teasingly. "Nuh-uh. Nothing doing. You will just have to come to the concert tomorrow. And you better too, because you and Chibi-Usa were the inspiration for both of them."

Mamoru smiled. He hadn't seen Usagi this happy in days. "Well with a invitation like that, how can I resist?"

He leaned in closer. "So, Chibi-USa is at Mrs. Chen's?"

Usagi nodded, and met his gaze. "Mmmhmm."

He kissed her lightly on her forehead. "Then we shall have to have some fun by ourselves."

He grinned as her face turned crimson, but he did get a reply.

"I'd like that, Mamo-chan."

* * *

Mrs. Chen knew this day would come, but she wasn't sure when.

Once night fell, the pounding on her door became the sound of splintering wood as a man with a gun stepped inside past the demolished door.

When he threatened to kill the children unless they all came with him, she knew.

It had taken her way too long to put all of the pieces together, now she had to find a way out of this mess before it was too late.

The man with the gun had herded them all into his car, and under the cover of darkness, he drove them over to Titan records. Mrs. Chen shivered with the cold of the night,  
but there had been no time to grab a coat to put over her simple dress, for she had to keep her daughter and Chibi-Usa calm. However, they were just as antsy as she was, and Keiko nearly screamed at the sight of the gun pointed at her mother.

When they arrived at Titan Records, The man pushed them out of the car,  
led them up to the top floor of offices and led them into the first office nearest the elevator.

The man who had herded them in went over to a nearby desk where she had spotted a familiar figure.

"I got the babysitter and the baby, but you never told me that she had a kid of her own. I want double the asking price."

Mrs. Chen kept a tight hold on Chibi-Usa, and stepped closer to the desk.

Anger clouded her mind and her voice was shaking- partly from fear,  
partly from the indignation. "How dare you. You said you wanted me to take care of Usagi-chan financially, but I know the truth now- you are the one stalking her. You drove her to me so that she would have to rely on me, and then you supplied me money to take care of all of us. I didn't know I was making a deal with a madman."

The man sitting in front of her smiled broadly. "My dear, I was only concerned for Aria Aure. You promised me that you would take care of her- not deliver her into the hands of another lover. The money I provided you would have been enough to take care of all three of you until her child was born, but no, She had to meet HIM!"

His hand was quick, backhanding her with enough force to make her stagger back. Ms. Chen kept a tight hold on Chibi-Usa and was able to remain upright. Keiko cried, clinging tightly to her mother's dress.

"Why don't you show our guests to the inner office and post a guard-  
they will be there at least long enough until Aria Aure professes her love to me."

Mrs. Chen protested as the man that had brought them there pulled out a gun and started prodding them towards a smaller side office.

"No, please, you can't!"

The man holding the gun opened the door to the side office and prodded them inside. "It is too late for that. Get in there!"

With a last shove with his free hand, the man holding the gun pushed Mrs. Chen inside the dark office and shut the door. Grabbing a nearby chair, he then firmly wedged it under the doorknob.

* * *

Mrs. Chen fumbled and managed to find a light switch in the office and turned it on.

The office was smaller in scale than the one she was just in, but was similarly furnished in oversized furniture. Unfortunately, the door she had just been pushed through was the only way out.

Despite her trembling, Mrs. Chen laid Chibi-Usa into the nearby over-sized chair as gently as possible. The baby wailed from fright and fear, so Mrs. Chen slowly stroked Chibi-Usa's small head.

"Shhh, Chibi-Usa, it will be all right. It'll be-"

Her voice broke. Mrs. Chen slumped to the floor beside the chair and began to sob heavily. The situation was out of control, and by all admissions she had just delivered Usagi's child into the hands of her stalker.

She muttered through the tears. "Usagi-chan, I am so sorry. What have I done? What have I done?"

Keiko stared at her wide eyed for some moments before clinging to her mother tightly.

* * *

_Till next time,_

_Time Guardian_


	11. Danger Zone

_**Chance Encounter  
**_An Alternate Reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian

_Chapter 11 - Danger Zone_

Usagi lay on the sofa enveloped in Mamoru's embrace, and thought about her life thus far.

Here she was, about ready to rediscover her singing career, a beautiful daughter to love, and a man who loved her for who she was, not the image of Aria Aure, pop idol. She wouldn't trade this moment for the world.

It was early evening, Mamoru made some popcorn and they watched a movie on television, but it was hard to focus on the plot since Mamoru kept caressing her hair and whispering romantic endearments in her ear.

Usagi had kept on her outfit that she had worn that day. Still, she felt the heat of his touch, his embrace and she thought it would drive her mad. The promises he had made for when they reached the bedroom- Usagi couldn't wait for the rest of the night to begin.

The ringing of the phone broke into their thoughts and obliterated the actors' voices in the movie.

Mamoru groaned and made a move to pick it up, but Usagi beat him to the punch. "No don't move. I will get it."

She leaned over and picked up the cordless phone to answer it. "Hello?"

There was little sound, save for some heavy breathing. Usagi made a move to hang up the phone when a deep scratchy voice came on the line.

"Aria Aure, the time has come. Meet me at Titan Records tonight, my love, and I will show you love like Toya never could."

She froze. Fear crept upon the fringe of her thoughts. "What-"

The voice interrupted her. "Now, now. Not to worry my love. I will make it all clear when you come visit me, but make sure you do not bring _HIM _with you. I wouldn't want to have to punish you before we start on our new life together."

This time she could barely find her voice. "Punish?"

The voice didn't reply. Instead, Usagi heard the click of a door opening and a fearful voice coming on the line. "Usagi? Don't give in to this monster-I-"

_-No! Mrs. Chen!-_

A loud smack cut off her words, and Usagi's worst fears were realized when she heard children crying in the background.

_-No...-_

The bastard had Mrs. Chen, Keiko and Chibi-Usa. Her stalker was going to use them as leverage to get her. She gripped the phone tighter as the disguised voice came back on the line.

"Well, my love, did you hear enough, my love? Will you come to me?"

Usagi ground the words out reluctantly, "Yes, but-"

She heard a menacing growl cut her off from the other end of the line. "No buts. You will be mine. Oh, and you better come alone. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them, after all. Mrs. Chen and her daughter are doing there best to keep your daughter calm, but I am not sure how long that will last. I shall see you later, my Aria Aure."

Numbness coursed through Usagi as she hit the disconnect button and placed the phone back over on the table.

"Who was that? Is everything okay, Usako?"

She sat back up, allowing Mamoru's embrace to warm her once more, but her thoughts ran a mile a minute.

After a moment Usagi made her decision. _-I can't jeopardize their lives- that's too much to risk.- _

She just hoped that Mamoru would buy her story.

After plastering a smile on her face, she turned to face him. "Oh, that was the studio. They were putting the last minute touches on one of my recordings, and they need me there to verify a few things."

Mamoru looked at his watch and frowned. "It seems to be pretty late in the evening to be asking you back to the studio. Can't it wait?"

She shook her head vehemently and struggled to think fast. "They won't allow me to perform tomorrow if I don't. Mamo-chan, please, I will be all right, I promise, but I have to go now. They are sending a car for me."

Usagi stared at Mamoru and awaited his reply.

For precious moments he did not say anything. Finally she was relieved when he sighed and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful, my love. I think I will catch a nap on the sofa and wait for you to get back."

Usagi got to her feet, willing herself to remain calm. She slowly walked to the door and grabbed her shoes to put them on.

Looking back, she saw that Mamoru had nestled himself lower in the sofa.

She called out to him. "Goodbye, Mamo-chan. I love you."

Turning, she quickly went out the front door and closed it behind her.

* * *

_Mamoru dreamed._

_It was rare that he dreamed, but this dream was the strangest to date._

_He stood at the end of a long corridor, surrounded by a strange smoke. The colors and the shapes made him think of Titan records, but why would he be here?_

_That was when he heard the sound- a breathing sound that was low and very distorted._

_He called out. "Hello, is anyone there?"_

_No response. He took small steps forward, not seeing anything through the gloom._

_"Hello?"_

_Still nothing. He began to wonder why he was here until he heard a woman scream. _

_He began to run. "Usako!"_

_The screaming continued. Mamoru picked up the pace. Sweat dripped off his back as he tried to find the source of the screams, but the hallway he found himself in seemed to stretch on for miles._

_A growling sound came from suddenly came from behind him. He stopped and was ready to turn around when a new pounding sound broke into his thoughts._

* * *

Mamoru shot straight up into a sitting position on the sofa and breathed heavily. It took his mind a moment to register that he was in his apartment, laying on the sofa. A pounding had woken him up, and he realized that it was coming from his front door.

The pounding was becoming insistent. Mamoru groaned, getting to his feet and shuffling over to the front door. Opening the door, he was surprised by the sight of Taka standing before him, and judging by his clothes, he looked like he had come straight from his restaurant.

Taka rushed past Mamoru with a nervous energy, and began to pace in the living room. "Mamoru-kun, something is fishy at Titan records."

Mamoru ran a hand through his hair and tried to clear his sleep fogged mind. "We know that already, Taka-"

Taka put his hand on Mamoru's shoulders and gave them a shake to interrupt him. "Listen to me. I had one of the sound techs over in my restaurant eating dinner an hour ago when he got a suspicious call on his cell phone. Seems the caller was on the top floor near the president's office. I didn't get to hear much, but I distinctly heard the words 'gunpoint' and 'baby' mentioned before the sound tech cut off the caller and told him that he must had been hearing and seeing things. I found it suspicious considering the circumstances and rushed over here. Where's Usagi?"

A baby? A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of Mamoru's stomach. He rushed back over to the side table and snatched up his phone. Quickly dialing the number for the nearest police branch, he went through three different people before he managed to get a hold of Makoto Kinoto.

He spoke with any preamble. "Listen there's not much time, I need to know if you have received any home invasion or kidnapping calls in the immediate neighborhood in the past hour or so. It's important."

He voice sounded surprised. "Let me check."

Mamoru held the phone tightly as he heard Makoto typing away on a computer.

Makoto came back on the line muttering. "All right, out with it Chibia-san, what gives?"

* * *

The taxi dropped Usagi off right in front of the Titan records building. She got out and paid the man, then stepped forward.

The sun had set long ago, and the night around her seemed dark and foreboding. She had not been out this late since her day's as Aria Aure. Staring at the building, she bit back the wave of fear that had been threatening to tear her apart ever since she left the security of Mamoru's apartment.

She felt incredibly guilty for not telling Mamoru the truth, but it couldn't have been helped. Her daughter needed her and upon that, Mrs. Chen and Keiko had been brought into her mess as well. Usagi had thought running away was solving all of her problems, but instead it brought up new ones. Now it was up to her to save them from the madman that was stalking her.

Usagi opened the main door and encountered a security guard, but little else. The guard was dressed in a drab grey uniform and seemed trim for his age, but if the grey in his beard was any indication, the man had to be in his late fifties at least.

She approached the man. "Excuse me, my name is Usagi and I-"

The guard regarded her carefully and asked. "Tsukino Usagi?"

She nodded nervously. He was the only one here, and she was pretty sure he had never seen her before.

The guard fished in the trouser pocket of his uniform and brought out a small folded note. "One of the sound guys told me to give this to you when you came in tonight. Said it came from one of the offices upstairs."

He handed her the note and walked off, as if this was a normal night and she was just there for business.

With a nervous hand, she opened the note and read:

_My sweet Aria Aure,_

_We will be reunited at last._

_You never gave me a second glance _

_but now I ask for a chance _

_to win your hand._

_Take the elevator to the top_

_do not pause, do not stop,_

_I want to see your smile again._

Her blood chilled as she read the signature below the twisted prose:

_**Sachi Shinjiro**_

* * *

Mamoru's worst suspicions were verified. "You found something."

Makoto read off what she had found. "An alert was posted about a half hour ago to our network. Neighbors in a neighborhood near to yours reported hearing a door busted in and one spotted a man dragging off a woman and two children."

Mamoru tensed. "What's the name of the person who lives there?"

"There is a woman named Maria Chen who is reported to live there with her child, Keiko. Strange though, one of the children reported taken was a baby."

He cursed. "Makoto, the stalker has Mrs. Chen, her daughter Keiko, and Usagi's daughter. I have reason to believe he is at Titan records and has lured her there, probably with the threat of harming them. Damn, I should have realized it when she walked out of here acting weird an hour ago. I am leaving here now with Taka. Can you get there right away?"

Makoto warned him. "I will join you as soon as I can with backup. We have enough proof this time, so we can not be denied. Be careful, Chibia-san, because if this guy was sadistic enough to kidnap a woman and two children, he will be dangerous."

He trembled slightly as Makoto parted with that warning. If anything happened to Usagi...

Mamoru quickly put the phone back on the table and stalked outside to his bike with Taka hot on his heels. All the while, he struggled with his feelings of helplessness. He had to get to the studio before it was too late. He couldn't bear to lose the woman he loved.

Mamoru motioned to Taka and handed him his spare helmet from his bike.

"We have to get to the studio. Now."

* * *

The elevator ride to the top floor felt like it was taking forever. Despite that, Usagi still did not have a plan. She said a quick silent prayer, hoping that she would know what to do if it came down to it.

The doors finally opened after a long moment, and she stepped out into the hallway. It was empty, but she heard a noise that sounded like a baby crying.

_-Chibi-Usa!-_

She ran, putting her ear up against every door that she encountered. Finally near the end of the hallway, she seemed to find the source of the noise.

A quick test of door yielded no results. It was locked, and no amount of physical force on her part was going to get it open.

She cried out, partly in frustration, partly in relief. "Hold on, Chibi-Usa. I'm coming!"

The crying continued as Usagi switched tactics and tried the next few doors, hoping to find something she could use to force the other door open.

The next door she opened beheld a surreal sight. A man lay sprawled on the floor of the vacant office. Blood was oozing from a cut on his forehead, but the glasses, the hair - she recognized him instantly.

Usagi stumbled away from the prone form of Sachi Shinjiro. For a moment, she had thought that he was dead, but upon closer inspection, she saw his chest slowly rise and fall. It looked like whoever had attacked him had only stunned him.

_-But who could have done this?- _

Seeing nothing that she could use to open the other door, Usagi turned to run and ran smack into Akuma. Relaxing slightly, she grabbed the front of his dress shirt and nearly broke down babbling.

"Please help me, Akuma-san. Sachi's has been acting real crazy and I think he may have kidnapped my daughter and my friends to get me here. He's been stalking me and-"

"Akuma's" face suddenly lightened, and he laughed as if he found the whole situation funny.

He looked at the body on the floor and then turned to Usagi, his features twisted into a forced smile. "Relax, my Aria Aure. There is nothing to worry about now. These contacts are a breeze once you get used to them. I figured I would give my glasses to my brother Akuma. After all, he always complained about having trouble reading the small type in all those documents he works with. I won't need them anymore. In fact, he kicked up

a big fuss, so I had to shut him up for a while."

Usagi's eyes widened in horror and realization as she released her hold on his shirt and backed away. The person standing before her was not Akuma-

It was Sachi.

* * *

_Ok, the climax is here and Usagi is face to face with her stalker. _

_Find out what happens next time. -ducks as objects are thrown-_

_Till then, I remain faithfully,_

_Time Guardian_


	12. The Past Returns

_**Chance Encounter  
**An Alternate reality Sailor Moon Romance  
by Time Guardian_

_Note: Lyrics in this chapter come from a poem of my creation called "The Way Back Home" and are an original work of mine that is posted on this  
site. If you reuse them, please credit me._

_And without further ado:_

_**Final Chapter-**_ _The Past Returns_

Mrs. Chen huddled near the door of the barricaded office and listened for any noise.

Soon after they had been huddled into the office and the door was blocked off, she struggled to hear something, anything to find out what was going on.

"Mommy..."

Keiko's voice sounded smaller than usual. Whenever she was scared or confused, her voice dropped to just above a whisper.

Mrs. Chen turned and gently wiped away the tears from her young daughter's eyes. "Keiko, don't be afraid, everything will be all right, I promise."

Keiko however was having none of it. She sat on the ground and stared up at her mother with a big frown.

"What about Usagi-chan? The bad man is going to hurt her."

Mrs. Chen cast a worried glance over to Chibi-usa who still laid in the chair whimpering. "Keiko, remember when you promised to take care of Chibi-Usa the way Usagi took care of you? That is what we can do for her right now. She will feel better knowing that her daughter is in good hands."

Keiko looked over at Chibi-USa. "Okay. I'll sing to her, that way she won't be so scared."

Mrs. Chen smiled as Keiko bounded over to the chair. That would keep her daughter occupied at least.

She resumed her vigil beside door. Usagi had to be all right- she just had to.

* * *

Usagi staggered back from Sachi. Revulsion filled her voice. "How could you hurt your own brother?"

Sachi's smile broadened as he leered towards her. "He was not supporting me in the least. After I got Toya out of the way, I had hoped that would bring you closer to me, so I could comfort you and let you know my true feelings. Akuma however, thought I was sick, so he decided not to pursue you after you ran. He thought you would stay away so you would be safe from the likes of me, he said. He thought I was a head case. Akuma couldn't see the truth. I just wanted to give you all of my love."

Usagi choked back a sob - She finally had the truth. "You killed Toya?"

Sachi held his hands up in protest. "Toya was corrupting you, my Aria Aure. It was simple enough to tamper with the boat, though I wanted it to just sink, not explode. For that you have my apologies."

Usagi shook her head in disbelief. She stressed her next words carefully. "My name is Tsukino Usagi- I am not a possession. You had no right to interfere in my life-"

She had little time to react as Sachi quickly pushed her back into the room, making her fall over backwards.  
Following her into the room, Sachi shut the door behind him and locked it.

Laughing, he turned to face her.

"Now you will be mine, Aria Aure, and nothing will stop me."

* * *

Mamoru pulled the bike up to the curb of Titan records, and shut off the engine. Taka yanked his helmet off and watched as Mamoru yanked off his helmet and took off running.

He called out. "Wait, Mamoru-kun, shouldn't we wait for backup? We don't know what we are getting ourselves into."

Mamoru turned on his friend. "What if she is in trouble, or hurt? Usagi left my place saying goodbye. She knew she was going into trouble. I can't stand idly by if it means I lose her."

Taka sighed and then motioned ahead. "We better get in there then."

The two men ran into the lobby and spotted the security guard that was standing near the elevator.

"Excuse me," Taka inquired, "did a woman by the name of Usagi come in here by chance? Blond Hair, blue eyes?"

The guard nodded and pointed to the elevator. "Yeah, she did come in here. I gave her the note that I was asked to. She read it, got a weird look, and then hit the elevator, why?"

"What did she do with the note?" Mamoru asked.

"I saw her throw it away in the trash can on the other side of the elevator."

Mamoru spotted the small trash can the guard pointed out and searched through the contents until he found the crumpled piece of paper that he was looking for.

He smoothed out the edges of the paper against the wall and quickly scanned the note.

After Mamoru finished, his face paled. "It's Sachi. He's the stalker."

Taka sounded incredulous "The record president's brother?"

Mamoru carefully folded the note and shoved it into his pants pocket. "Yeah. It's no wonder Usagi looked guilty. He would have the power and the clout to insinuate himself in her life and leave no tracks. We have to get to the top floor."

The guard protested. "Just a minute now, you have no right to go up there."

Mamoru whirled around on the man in a near panic. He grabbed a fistful of the guards shirt.

"Listen, the woman I love is trapped up there with a madman-he has probably killed once and may kill again-"

Anger blinded him to the guard's wide-eyed stare, until he heard a noise from behind him.

"Step away from the guard, Mamoru-san."

Mamoru turned his head and saw that Makoto had her firearm drawn and trained on him. Two male officers stood behind her, eyeing him warily. Mamoru released the guard, put his hands in the air and pleaded.

"You don't understand. Usagi is on the top floor right now with a madman who has been stalking her for months.  
I have the proof here in my pocket."

Makoto hesitated a moment before she holstered her weapon. Mamoru dug in his pants pocket and handed the note over to her.

It took her a few moments to read over the note before her eyes widened. "Sachi? That is the brother to the Titan Records president."

Mamoru nodded. "And unless we can get upstairs, her life and the lives of Mrs. Chen and the children will be in danger. I believe that he had them kidnapped to lure Usagi here."

Makoto sighed. "You had better be right." She turned and flashed her badge at the panicked guard. "I am from the police. We have reason to believe a crime is taking place upstairs. We need to use the elevator."

The guard stared at the group, shaking his head in disbelief. "And I took the evening shift cause the boss promised it wouldn't be as busy. Go on up."

Makoto pocketed her badge and motioned to the officers behind her. "Follow me."

* * *

Sachi loomed over Usagi, grabbing her wrists and holding them high above her head. As much as she struggled, his grip seemed to grow tighter. Kneeling, he straddled her legs.

Surprise was in his voice. "My dear Aria Aure, why do you struggle so? I only want to show you my love for you."

She was near the edge of panic now. _-He's sick-_ "My name is Tsukino Usagi-"

Usagi yelped in pain as Sachi backhanded her hard. "Your name is Aria Aure, and you will be forever mine!"

She tried to focus her vision as she felt him release his hold on her wrists only to tear at her blouse, exposing her breasts. Fear quickly replaced the panic as Usagi thrashed frantically in his tight embrace.

"No, what are you doing? Stop it!"

He scowled at her. "Isn't this what you did that night on the boat with Toya? I thought that was what two people in love were supposed to do. Instead you sleep with him like a slut and he got you knocked up."

Usagi cringed at the cruel description and balled her hands into fists. "I was in LOVE with him! We were due to be married the next day until you took that away from us. My daughter will never know her father, thanks to you!"

"Shut up!" Sachi roared. "I saved you from him. He would have dragged your name and reputation through the mud further if I haven't interceded. Now that you are finally mine, I need to 'purify' you."

Adrenaline flowing quickly through her veins, Usagi pummeled Sachi with her fists, but she was having little effect.

What she needed was a plan.

* * *

Mamoru and Taka exited the elevator with Makoto and the two other officers in tow.

Looking at the line of office doors down the hallway, Taka groaned. "How are we supposed to know which office they are in?"

"We can only take it one office at a time," Makoto replied. She turned to the two other officers. "I'll start with the first office. You two go check the next one and go down the line."

As they rushed off, Makoto drew her gun and walked towards the first office. Mamoru and Taka drew In close behind her as she tried the knob.

"It's unlocked," she mouthed quietly. Pushing the door inward, she quickly rushed into the room. "Police!"

"Looks like there is no one here," Taka commented as they stepped in behind her.

Mamoru flipped on a light switch illuminating the massive office. Nothing seemed out of place, but he did notice a separate door over near one of the corners. Walking over, he tried the door only to find it locked. "Hey, is there anyone in there?"

The reward for his efforts was a small rustling noise followed by a baby crying.

Mamoru motioned the others over and started heaving his shoulder against the door. After a few moments it finally gave, and splintered open. When he stepped inside he saw the huddled figures of Mrs. Chen and Keiko over by a chair.

Makoto followed him in and helped the relieved woman to her feet. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"We are fine." Mrs. Chen said as she picked up Chibi-Usa from the chair. "Have you found Usagi-chan?"

Mamoru shook his head. "No, we were hoping she was in here."

Her face paled. "We haven't been able to hear a thing for quite a while now. You have to find her, Mamoru-san. He's insane. Sachi tricked me into keeping tabs on her. He thinks that Usagi is his possession. He will kill her."

Keiko wrapped her arms firmly around her mother's legs and looked up at Mamoru. "Please don't let the bad man hurt Usagi-chan."

"We will get her back safe and sound, Keiko, and that's a promise." Mamoru turned to his friend. "Taka, take Mrs. Chen and the children. Get them to the first floor and find them someplace safe. I'm going with Makoto to check the other offices."

Taka smiled grimly and put a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, you knucklehead, and bring Usagi back safe. I still owe her a free dinner, you know."

Mamoru watched Taka as he led Mrs. Chen and the children away to the elevator.

* * *

Sachi moved to kiss her, and that is when Usagi came up with her plan.

He leaned forward, easing the pressure on her legs. Usagi used her hands to push herself across the floor, allowing her to slip under and away from him. Rolling over, she scrambled to her feet and ducked around Akuma's prone body to head for the door.

It was no good. Sachi scrambled to his feet and beat her to the door. He then turned and slowly advanced towards her.

Usagi backed away from him and soon found herself against the wall.

Sachi's smile was chilling. "There's nowhere to hide, Aria Aure. I will purify you and you will be mine."

Usagi screamed as Sachi lunged towards her. He managed to grab her shoulders before being suddenly pulled back. She looked up and was shocked to find Akuma standing behind Sachi. He had grabbed his brother from behind and whirled him around to face him.

Akuma's hands were balled tightly into fists and a trickle of blood flowed down the side of his head. His voice was low and even.

"I will not allow you to hurt anyone ever again."

And with that, he threw a punch that sent Sachi sprawling to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Mamoru and Makoto went back out into the hallway and spotted the two officers listening in at a door near the end of the hallway.

She called out to them. "Did you two find anything?"

They looked up and frantically motioned to her. "We heard a scream from behind this door. Hurry!"

They rushed over to where her fellow officers were ramming the door using their bodies. The first time, the door barely gave an inch, but they quickly regrouped and rushed the door again. This time when they connected, the door gave way. Mamoru pushed the two officers out of the way and made his way inside.

He was taken aback by the sight that greeted him.

Usagi's clothes were torn, her hair twisted and tangled. She leaned against the far wall, fearfully eyeing the prone form of Sachi lying unconscious in front of her. Sachi's brother Akuma stood wavering over the prone form of his brother. As if sensing their presence, he turned to look at them.

"This man is scum, and is no longer my brother. Get him out of my sight."

A sense of profound relief washed over Mamoru as he took a tentative step forward into the room, followed by Makoto and her fellow officers who went to check on the brothers.

He held out a hand to her and called out gently. "Usako- It's ok, it's over."

She turned her head slowly at the sound of his voice. When she spotted him, Usagi stumbled towards him quickly.

Mamoru caught her in mid stride and held onto her tightly as Usagi started to sob.

* * *

**_Epilogue_** - _Two Months Later_

The day was sunny and bright, the park's ampitheatre was filled to capacity, and Usagi Tsukino watched from offstage as the crowd cheered wildly over the performance of Minako Aino.

Usagi had seen heartache and tragedy in the last few months, but thanks to Mamoru and ongoing sessions with a counselor, she was able to move on with her life. Dressed in a simple green knee length dress with spaghetti straps, she felt free and at peace for the first time in months.

Minako walked off the stage and handed the microphone to her.

She gave her a wink and a smile. "I've got them primed for you, Usagi-chan, now go out there and knock 'em dead."

Nodding, Usagi gripped the microphone tightly and strode out onto the middle of the stage and faced the audience, who had fallen silent. S_o much for a build-up._

She spoke slowly into the microphone as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. "Welcome, I hope you have enjoyed the show so far. Minako Aino has been a good friend of mine every since the beginning of my own tour, and it is good to hear her own career taking off. How about another round of applause for her?"

The audience dutifully clapped in response.

Smiling, Usagi waited for the crowd to quiet down before she continued. "And now, I would like to offer an apology. To the many fans of Aria Aure, I kept you hanging, and for that I am sorry. I let someone steal my life away, and instead of standing up to them, I ran. I am here before you today to say that Aria Aure is back, and she is here to stay."

She heard a small amount of cheering and applause, and relished it. Usagi knew it would be a while before the news totally filtered out to the media that she was not a murderer and that it was a Titan records executive that had committed the crimes. Makoto had told her that Sachi was ruled insane and unable to stand trial for his crimes, and that he was being committed to a mental institution.

Usagi noticed a waving motion near the middle of the audience and spotted Mamoru cradling Chibi-Usa, trying to find a seat. Taka and Makoto followed close behind them. Mamoru had told her that they would probably arrive late, but they had all promised to be there to cheer her on.

She lifted her microphone. "And now I dedicate this song to two of the great loves of my life: my daughter, Chibi-Usa, and the man who stayed by my side throughout all of my troubles. This song is for you, Mamo-chan."

Behind her, two lone musicians walked onstage wielding acoustic guitars and began to play a haunting melody.

Closing her eyes, Usagi let the music wash over her as she silently counted the beats through the intro.

_-3..2..1-Showtime-_

She began to sing:

Memories fade of true love long ago,  
Heart is empty, cold, and alone.

I journey forth to find my love so distant and so far.

I wanna go back, to love long ago,  
but it's so far away.

Lost in a sea of misery,  
and I can't find my way back home.  
Loneliness plagues my soul,  
and I can't find my way back home.

No, I can't find my way back home-

The journey is hard and the rewards are few,  
but I still knew in my heart,

Love was out there, my destiny,  
and it called out to me-

Journey forth, it's worth the fight,  
and you will find your way back home.  
Keep searching, you will find true love,  
and you will find your way back home.

Oh yes, you will find your way back home.

After a long journey, I found it at last,  
my true love, salvation at last,  
filling my heart full of love,  
I was alone no more.

The search is over, my quest is done, my dreams are so real,  
I've finally found my love so true-

and I've finally found my way back home.

The song over, Usagi lowered her microphone and was moved to tears by the thunderous applause she received from the crowd.

* * *

When the song finished, Mamoru sat transfixed in awe. Usagi's voice was just as beautiful as the night her heard her sing to Chibi-Usa, and it was filled with love and beauty that he would never get enough of.

A gentle nudge brought him back down to Earth. "So, Mamoru-kun, when are you going to pop the question to her?"

"One step at a time Taka, one step at a time," Mamoru admonished. "First I have prepared a couple of surprises: dinner at a fancy restaurant I know-"

"Hey, it better be mine," Taka interrupted.

Mamoru laughed. "Where else, my friend? Next, before I got here I placed a call to her parents. They are going to meet us there and finally get to see their granddaughter for the first time. Also, it will allow me to formally ask for Usagi's hand in marriage."

"You're a soft touch, you know that Mamoru-san?" Makoto teased.

"Damn straight," Mamoru shot back as he glanced down at Chibi-Usa. "After all, I have two lovely ladies in my life, and I owe it all to a chance encounter with love"

* * *

**_This work is finally complete! It has taken a little over a year, but if you have stayed for the long haul, I hope you have enjoyed it._**

_It has been five long years for me, but this will be my last story for this fandom. Original fiction and other things have taken over my interests these days, so that is where I am headed. However, if you see a plot thread here that you think you can continue on with through your own writing, just email me for permission, that's all I ask._

_It has been a pleasure entertaining you._

_I remain faithfully,_

_**Time Guardian**_


End file.
